Michigan Drops Series at Iowa on Ninth Inning Walk-Off

Sunday, April 29

Iowa City, Iowa

11:05 AM CT

Michigan

25-13, 12-2

Iowa

26-14, 9-7

Michigan

Iowa

Michigan Drops Series at Iowa on Ninth Inning Walk-Off

4/29/2018 4:27:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Katie Gwinn Hewitt

» The score was tied at 2 going into the bottom of the ninth but a two-run homer secured the 7-5 win for Iowa.
» Michigan was ahead, 5-0, after the first two innings but did not score the remainder of the game.
» Ako Thomas led Michigan at the plate with three hits.

Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Duane Banks Field)
Score: Iowa 7, Michigan 5
Records: U-M (25-13, 12-2 B1G), IOWA (26-14, 9-7 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, May 1 -- vs. Eastern Michigan (Wilpon Complex), 6 p.m.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Michigan baseball team dropped the finale of its weekend series at Iowa on Sunday (April 29), as the Wolverines surrendered a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 7-5 loss at Duane Banks Field.

The series loss is the Wolverines' first in Big Ten play and Michigan's first overall since going 1-2 at Lipscomb in early March.

With the score tied at 5 heading into the ninth inning, Michigan put two men on base with a single and an intentional walk before a flyout ended the inning.

Going into the bottom of the ninth, the Wolverines looked to move the game into extra innings, but a two-out error and a home run in the bottom of the ninth propelled Iowa to a 7-5 victory and the series win.

Michigan took an early lead with three runs in the top of the first inning. Junior Ako Thomas led off the game with a base hit to right field before stealing second base to move into scoring position. An infield hit off from freshman Jesse Franklin put runners on the corners and set the stage for a three-run opposite-field blast by sophomore Dominic Clementi.

The Wolverines took a 5-0 lead in the top of the second on a run-scoring double from freshman Jack Blomgren and an RBI single from Thomas, but Iowa cut Michigan's lead to two with an RBI single the bottom of the second and a two-run homer in the third.

An unearned run in the bottom of the fourth cut Michigan's lead to just one, and a Hawkeye home run in the bottom of the seventh tied the score at 5.

Michigan threatened to score in the fourth after the Hawkeyes' starting pitcher left the game due to injury, but the Wolverines were unable to score the remainder of the game, despite putting runners on base in all but the sixth and eighth innings.

The Wolverines totaled 11 hits but left eight men on base in the effort. Thomas led Michigan at the plate with three hits, while Clementi, Blomgren and junior Jonathan Engelmann each had two.

Junior William Tribucher took the loss after the go-ahead runner reached on an error in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, and a walk-off homer against freshman Jeff Criswell ended the game. In total, Michigan pitchers combined to allow nine hits and three walks. Just four of the Hawkeyes' seven runs were earned.

Michigan (25-13) will be back in action on Tuesday, with the first game of a home-and-home series against Eastern Michigan. First pitch for Tuesday's game is set for 6 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium, and fans can watch the game live on the Big Ten Network. [ Tickets ]