Michigan Surrenders Lead Late, Falls to Purdue in Game Two

Saturday, May 19

West Lafayette, Ind.

1:00 PM

Michigan

32-18, 15-7

Purdue (completion of suspended game)

33-18, 16-6

Michigan

Purdue

Michigan Surrenders Lead Late, Falls to Purdue in Game Two

5/19/2018 2:37:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Katie Gwinn Hewitt

» Rain suspended Friday's game in the bottom of the eighth, and the game was completed Saturday.
» Michigan held a 3-2 score going into the seventh, but surrendered four runs in the bottom of the inning.
» Jesse Franklin and Brock Keener combined for four of the Wolverines' six hits.

Site: West Lafayette, Ind. (Alexander Field)
Score: Purdue 6, Michigan 3
Records: U-M (32-18, 15-7 Big Ten), PUR (33-18, 16-6 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, May 19 -- at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.), 2:30 p.m.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Despite an early lead, the University of Michigan baseball team surrendered four runs in the bottom of the seventh and dropped the second game of its three-game series at Purdue on Friday (May 18) by a 6-3 at Alexander Field.

The Wolverines led, 3-2, heading into the bottom of the seventh, but Purdue used one hit along with four walks and two hit batsmen to score four runs and go ahead, 6-3.

With Michigan unable to score in the top of the eighth, Purdue carried its three-run lead into the bottom of the inning before heavy rain forced the game to be suspended. The teams returned Saturday afternoon (May 19) to complete the contest, which featured a scoreless turn at bat for Michigan in the top of the ninth.

The series win secured the No. 2 seed for Purdue in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament next week, though the Wolverines and Boilermakers can still end with a tied record in Big Ten play if Michigan wins the series finale. If that occurs, Purdue holds the tiebreaker based on head-to-head record.

Michigan took its first lead of the series in with a two-out base hit from senior Brock Keener and an RBI single off the bat of freshman Jack Blomgren in the top of the second inning.

Purdue tied the score in the bottom of the third with back-to-back singles and a passed ball, but freshman starter Ben Dragani got out of a bases-loaded jam as a fielder's choice ended the frame.

The Wolverines rallied to regain the lead in the top of the fourth inning when a sacrifice fly by Blomgren and an RBI double from sophomore Christan Bullock in the fifth put the Wolverines up, 3-1.

A leadoff double and back-to-back groundouts allowed the Boilermakers to get a run back in the sixth, but a four-run seventh gave Purdue the defining 6-3 lead.

Keener and freshman Jesse Franklin led the Wolverines with two hits apiece as Michigan totaled six.

Though Purdue also registered six hits in the effort, Michigan's bullpen surrendered seven walks and hit four batters.

Michigan (32-18, 15-7 B1G) and Purdue (33-18, 16-6 B1G) will wrap up the three-game set and play the final game of the 2018 regular season on Saturday (May 19) at Alexander Field. First pitch is tentatively set for 2:30 p.m., and the game can be watched live on the Big Ten Network.