Wolverines Rally for 11th-Inning Walkoff in Home Finale

Sunday, May 13

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Noon

Michigan

32-16, 0

Illinois

29-17, 0

Illinois

Michigan

Wolverines Rally for 11th-Inning Walkoff in Home Finale

5/13/2018 5:42:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Katie Gwinn Hewitt

» A sacrifice fly from Dominic Clementi scored Jimmy Kerr in the bottom of the 11th inning for the walk-off victory.
» With two innings of relief, Jayce Vancena earned the win on his Senior Day.
» Michigan led for the majority of the game but surrendered two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: Michigan 5, Illinois 4
Records: U-M (32-16, 15-5 Big Ten), ILL (29-17, 13-8 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, May 17 -- at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.), 6 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A sacrifice fly from sophomore Dominic Clementi in the bottom of the 11th inning pushed the University of Michigan baseball team to a 5-4 walk-off win over Illinois on Sunday (May 13) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

The Wolverines led for the majority of the game, but surrendered two runs in the top of the ninth and were forced to play their second extra-inning affair of the season.

The Illini threatened in the 10th inning, loading the bases with two out, and put two men on base in the 11th, but senior reliever Jayce Vancena held Illinois scoreless through the final two innings to earn the win, which marked his second victory of the week.

Junior Jimmy Kerr led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a single to right field and an error on a bunt from redshirt freshman Harrison Salter gave the Wolverines a pair of baserunners. Freshman Jack Blomgren then attempted a sacrifice bunt to try to move the runners, but a fielder's choice did not result in an out and Michigan was left with the bases loaded. With one out on the board, Clementi sent a sacrifice fly to deep right field, which allowed Kerr to tag up and race home for the win.

Michigan totaled nine hits in the effort, including a game-high three from freshman Jordan Nwogu. Clementi, Kerr and junior Jonathan Engelmann each picked up two hits, while Clementi knocked in three of the Wolverines' five runs.

Sophomore Karl Kauffmann did not earn a decision, but tossed seven innings and scattered just three hits with two runs allowed. Freshman Jeff Criswell also appeared, tossing a perfect 1-2-3 eighth.

Following a scoreless first inning, Michigan took its biggest lead of the series with three unearned runs in the bottom of the second. The two-out rally began when junior Ako Thomas reached on a catcher's interference call with the bases loaded, and Clementi followed with a base hit through the right side for two RBI.

The Illini got one back in the top of the third and added another in the fifth on a solo home run, cutting Michigan's lead to one, 3-2, but a solo homer off the bat of Nwogu gave Michigan back a two-run lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Wolverines held on to their 4-2 lead until the top of the ninth, when Illinois used a two-out rally to score two and send the game to extra innings.

Tweet of the Game

This team sure is fun to watch.

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— Michigan Baseball (@umichbaseball) May 13, 2018

Michigan (32-16, 15-5 Big Ten) will wrap the regular season next weekend (May 17-19) with a Big Ten series at Purdue. First pitch for Friday's game is set for 6 p.m.