Michigan Sweeps Doubleheader, Northwestern at Wilpon Complex

Sunday, April 21

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Noon

Michigan

27-11, 7-3

Northwestern

16-19, 5-6

Northwestern

Michigan

Christan Bullock

Michigan Sweeps Doubleheader, Northwestern at Wilpon Complex

4/21/2019 7:27:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery (Game 1)

By: Kurt Svoboda

» Blake Nelson hit his first career home run in game two.
» Christan Bullock's three-run blast in game two was his first homer of the season.
» Michigan's bullpen struck out 10 batters in 9.2 scoreless innings in the three-game series

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Scores: Michigan 3, Northwestern 2; Michigan 10, Northwestern 1
Records: U-M (28-11, 8-3 B1G), Northwestern (16-20, 5-6 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, April 26 -- vs. Rutgers (Wilpon Complex), 6 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team received outstanding pitching and a 14-hit effort in game two to win both games of a doubleheader Sunday (April 21) to complete a series sweep of Northwestern at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

Michigan (28-11, 8-3 Big Ten) defeated Northwestern, 3-2, in game one before a convincing 10-1 victory over the Wildcats In game two. Combined with Saturday's 4-1 victory, the Wolverines received outstanding pitching across the board but especially so from the bullpen. Wolverine relievers combined to throw 9.2 scoreless innings during which they allowed just six hits while striking out 10 batters and walking just one.

In game one, Michigan scored single runs in each of the first two innings with sophomore designated hitter Jordan Nwogu participating in both. In the first game, U-M's leadoff hitter singled and came home on an error. In the second inning, junior center fielder Christan Bullock singled with two outs, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error and scored on a sharp single to right from Nwogu for a 2-0 lead.

The Wildcats tied the game at 2 with a pair of runs in the third, both coming home after the Wolverines could not quite turn a double play to get out of the inning.

Michigan pushed the eventual game-winning run across in the seventh. Bullock legged out an infield single and again stole second before moving to third on a wild throw. One batter later, sophomore shortstop Jack Blomgren drove him in with an RBI grounder to second that was misplayed into an error.

The 3-2 score held up behind the impressive outings from redshurt junior left-hander Benjamin Keizer (2.0 IP), who picked up the win in relief, and freshman righty Willie Weiss (2.0 IP). Keizer improved to 2-0 on the season after he allowed just one hit while Weiss earned his second save of the series and eighth of the season with four strikeouts in his two hitless innings.

Nwogu had three hits in the game to lead all hitters.

In game two, senior third baseman Blake Nelson started the scoring with his first career homer, a deep shot over the left-center field wall. Four batters later, Bullock struck a big blow with his first homer of the year – a towering three-run drive down the right-field line to give Michigan a 4-0 lead.

Northwestern get on the board in the fourth but Michigan increased its advantage to 6-1 in the fifth when Blomgren sent a two-run single into left field to score senior second baseman Ako Thomas (single) and Bullock (single).

Senior starter Jeff Criswell improved to 4-1 on the season with 5.1 innings of work in which he scattered four hits while striking out four batters. He gave way to sophomore lefty Angelo Smith in the sixth inning and he needed just one pitch to induce a 3-6-3 double play ball to end the inning.

Thomas extended the Michigan lead in the bottom of the sixth with a line-drive RBI single to left and added another RBI single in the eighth, while Bullock also collected an RBI single in the team's final at-bat. The final run was pushed across by freshman pinch-hitter Riley Bertram who delivered an RBI double to left.

Thomas and Bullock each had three hits in the nightcap while senior first baseman Jimmy Kerr had two hits. Michigan's 5-9 hitters combined for 11 hits and were on base 13 times.

Michigan will return to action and the Wilpon Complex on Friday (April 26) when it hosts Rutgers in the opener of a three-game series against the Scarlet Knights. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on BTN Plus.