Broom Ball: Michigan Sweeps The Citadel with Sunday Victory

Sunday, February 24

Charleston, S.C.

11:00 AM

Michigan

6-0

The Citadel

2-4

Michigan

The Citadel

Christan Bullock

Broom Ball: Michigan Sweeps The Citadel with Sunday Victory

2/24/2019 2:55:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Kurt Svoboda

» Miles Lewis connected for a two-run homer in the seventh for his first round-tripper of the year.
» Willie Weiss worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning and earned his first career victory.
» Four Michigan pitchers combined for 14 strikeout.s

Site: Charleston, S.C. (Joe Riley Stadium)
Score: #17 Michigan 6, The Citadel 3
Records: U-M (6-0), The Citadel (2-4)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 1 -- at CSUN (Northridge, Calif.) 2 p.m. PST

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan baseball team improved to 6-0 on the young season as the Wolverines finished a weekend sweep of The Citadel with a 6-3 victory Sunday afternoon (Feb. 24) at Joe Riley Stadium.

The Citadel took its first lead of the series, 2-0, on a pair of first inning singles, a walk and three stolen bases. Cleanup hitter Ryan McCarthy accounted for the runs with a sharp two-run single up the middle after The Citadel narrowly pulled off a double steal with a close play at third base.

Michigan cut into the lead in the top of the second. With two outs Christan Bullock stayed hot with a long double to left-center. He scored one batter later on a throwing error.

The Wolverines tied the game in the third on another two-out rally as Jesse Franklin singled to center and came all the way around on a long double to left from Brewer.

Michigan took a lead in the top of the fourth. Bullock singled and scored on a double down the leftfield line by Joe Donovan. Donovan scored one batter later as Nelson sent a sharp single up the middle for a 4-2 lead.

The Citadel threatened in the fifth with a leadoff single and walk. A sacrifice bunt moved runners into scoring position and chased starter Jeff Criswell from the game in favor of freshman RHP Willie Weiss as a steady rain intensified. Weiss walked the first batter he faced to load the bases for McCarthy. Weiss answered the pressure situation by striking out the cleanup hitter with a vicious slider and Donovan ended the inning by picking off the runner at third base. Weiss would go on to throw 2.2 innings of no-hit relief with four strikeouts.

Michigan doubled its lead in the seventh thanks to Miles Lewis who drove a 3-2 fastball high over the scoreboard in left-center field for a two-run blast and a 6-2 advantage.

The Citadel did threaten again in the eighth as the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out against LHP reliever Angelo Smith. Smith struck out pinch hitter Ches Goodman swinging on a back-door breaking ball for the second out. Will Bastian then singled sharply up the middle to score a run but Jordan Brewer ended the inning as he gunned down a runner at the plate to keep the score 6-3. Benjamin Keizer pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out two batters, for his first save of the season.

Franklin and Bullock had two hits apiece while the four Michigan pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts.

Michigan returns to action next week, March 1, when the Wolverines kickoff an eight-game trip to California with a three-game set at Cal State Northridge.