Michigan
3-0
Binghamton
0-3
Michigan Sweeps Binghamton to Start 2019 Campaign
2/17/2019 3:20:00 PM | Baseball
» Jack Blomgren led the offense with three hits.
» Joe Donovan connected for his first career home run and led the team with three RBI.
» The top of the eighth inning took 48 minutes as U-M scored six times.
Site: Port St. Lucie, Fla. (First Data Field)
Score: Michigan 12, Binghamton 2
Records: U-M (3-0), Binghamton (0-3)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 22 – at The Citadel (Charleston, S.C.) 5 p.m.Â
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan baseball team pounded out 12 hits and received another strong pitching performance as the Wolverines completed an opening-weekend sweep of Binghamton with a 12-2 victory on Sunday (Feb. 17) at First Data Field.
Michigan broke open a 3-1 lead with three runs in the fifth inning and sixth in a 48-minute bottom of the eighth as 18 players earned playing time.
Michigan's bats were loud as the Wolverines claimed a 2-0 second inning lead. With one out, Miles Lewis hit a towering triple down the leftfield line and hustled into third before Joe Donovan connected for his first career home run -- a monster shot high over the leftfield wall with an exit velocity of 103 miles per hour.
Binghamton got a run back in the third on a leadoff double and an RBI groundout. The Bearcats then loaded the bases with two outs and a hard-hit grounder took a bad bounce on Ako Thomas at second but he pounced on the ball and made a quick flip to Jack Blomgren at second just in time for the third out.
Michigan got the run back in the fourth as Christan Bullock started the frame with a bunt single, moved to second on a balk, stole third and scored on a sharp sacrifice fly from Donovan to make it 3-1.
Binghamton threatened in the top of the sixth when three straight singles to start the frame chased starter Jeff Criswell from the game. Angelo Smith entered and shut down the threat with consecutive strikeouts on six pitches and a weak grounder on his seventh pitch. Criswell earned the victory with five strikeouts against six scattered hits in his five innings of work as he combined a 96 mph fastball with an effective changeup in his first outing of the year.
Binghamton got a run back in the seventh with a pair of doubles but Smith got two more strikeouts to preserve the 6-2 lead and complete his day of effective relief.
Michigan blew the game open in the eighth inning as Blomgren laced a two-run triple to centerfield and came home on a line-drive single from Thomas to make it a 9-2 game. Jack Van Remortel pinch hit for Nwogu and laced an RBI single to prompt a pitching change but U-M got two more runs, including a sacrifice fly from Harrison Salter in a pinch-hitting effort. Â
Blomgren was 3-for-4 with two RBI to pace the offense while Donovan hit the ball hard all day, finishing 2-for-3 with three RBI. Thomas added two hits out of the leadoff spot.
Michigan is on the road next weekend with a three-game series at The Citadel starting Friday, Feb. 22, at Joe Riley Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Criswell, Jeff (1-0)
L: VanScoter (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Marshall 1 ; Wegmann 1 ; Baratta 1 ; Trenholm 1
RBI: Wegmann 1 ; Trenholm 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Baratta 1 ; Trenholm 1
Batting:
2B: Nwogu, Jordan 1
3B: Lewis, Miles 1 ; Blomgren, Jack 1
HR: Donovan, Joe 1
RBI: Thomas, Ako 1 ; Nwogu, Jordan 1 ; Van Remortel, Jack 1 ; Kerr, Jimmy 1 ; Brewer, Jordan 1 ; Salter, Harrison 1 ; Bullock, Christan 1 ; Donovan, Joe 3 ; Blomgren, Jack 2
SF: Brewer, Jordan 1 ; Salter, Harrison 1 ; Donovan, Joe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Thomas, Ako 2 ; Franklin, Jesse 2 ; Nwogu, Jordan 1 ; Van Remortel, Jack 1 ; Bullock, Christan 1 ; Lewis, Miles 2 ; Donovan, Joe 2 ; Blomgren, Jack 1
SB: Bullock, Christan 1 ; Lewis, Miles 1
HBP: Franklin, Jesse 1 ; Bertram, Riley 1 ; Donovan, Joe 1
