Criswell, Michigan Split Twin Bill to End Ohio State Series

Saturday, April 13

Columbus, Ohio

2:05 PM

Michigan

23-11, 4-3

Ohio State

20-16, 4-4

Michigan

Ohio State

Jeff Criswell

Criswell, Michigan Split Twin Bill to End Ohio State Series

4/13/2019 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Kurt Svoboda

» Jeff Criswell did not allow an earned run in 6.2 effective innings in game two.
» Michigan won at Ohio State for the first time since 2009.
» Jimmy Kerr had five hits in Saturday's doubleheader.

Site: Columbus, Ohio (Bill Davis Stadium)
Scores: Ohio State 10, Michigan 4; Michigan 6, Ohio State 2
Records: U-M (24-11, 5-3 B1G), OSU (20-17, 4-5 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, April 17 -- vs. Bowling Green (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 5 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The University of Michigan baseball team split a Saturday (April 13) doubleheader at Ohio State with the Buckeyes taking game one, 10-4, and the Wolverines emerging from the second game with a 6-2 victory at Bill Davis Stadium. The win was Michigan's first in Columbus since 2009.

Needing a win in game two in order to earn a win in the series, Michigan's bats staked sophomore starter Jeff Criswell to a 4-0 lead. Junior designated hitter Dominic Clementi launched a solo homer in the second inning, redshirt senior right fielder Miles Lewis plated two runs with RBI groundouts, senior second baseman Ako Thomas legged out an RBI triple and sophomore catcher Joe Donovan scored all the way from second base on an infield single from senior first baseman Jimmy Kerr in the fifth.

Criswell pitched well, working around an error that led to two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth. He worked into the seventh inning, when it appeared that OSU's only plan to solve the big righty was to bunt its way onto base. The Buckeyes had three bunt hits against him and finally chased him from the game with two outs in the seventh only to see redshirt junior left-hander Benjamin Keizer come on and get a strikeout to end the frame.

In the top of the eighth, a perfectly-executed hit-and-run turned into an RBI double down the third-base line for Lewis that scored sophomore center fielder Jesse Franklin for a key run.

Criswell struck out four batters and did not allow an earned run or extra-base hit.

Kerr led the Wolverines with three hits while Lewis, Clementi and senior third baseman Blake Nelson chipped-in with two hits apiece.

In game one, Michigan's junior starter Karl Kauffmann started hot, earning the first four outs via strikeout and five in the first two innings. OSU managed to forge a 2-0 lead in front of a capacity crowd at Bill Davis Stadium as Zach Dezenzo hit a two-run homer just out of the reach of center fielder Franklin.

Things started spiraling for Michigan in the third as Ohio State claimed an 8-0 lead. A leadoff homer by Dominic Canzone and an unearned run came home on a single that ended up being a triple when right fielder Brewer went down awkwardly fielding the ball. The next batter singled through a drawn-in infield and, with two outs, three more came home on a three-run homer by Ridge Winand.

Michigan edged back into the game in the sixth thanks to a three-run double from Kerr, who connected on a high fly ball to the base of the wall in left with two outs. It was as close as U-M would come with OSU pulling away despite sophomore designated hitter Jordan Nwogu adding to the Wolverines' tally with a no-doubt home run to lead off the seventh.

Sophomore shortstop Jack Blomgren and Kerr each had two hits to pace the Michigan offense

Michigan will return to action Wednesday with a 5 p.m. contest against Bowling Green at the Wilpon Complex, Home of Ray Fisher Stadium.