Michigan's Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short Against Minnesota

Friday, April 5

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

20-8, 0

Minnesota

13-14, 0

Minnesota

Michigan

Jesse Franklin

Michigan's Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short Against Minnesota

4/5/2019 7:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Kurt Svoboda

» Jesse Franklin gave U-M a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the first inning.
» Michigan had the winning run at the plate in the ninth inning.
» Minnesota's Max Meyer threw 123 pitches in seven innings to earn the win.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: Minnesota 6, Michigan 4
Records: U-M (20-8, 2-1 B1G), Minnesota (13-14, 6-1 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 6 -- vs. Minnesota (Wilpon Complex), 2 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Wolverines came up just short as Minnesota emerged with a 6-4 victory Friday (April 5) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

Trailing 6-3 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, Michigan (20-8, 2-1 B1G) threatened with junior Jordan Brewer lacing an RBI single to right field and putting runners on the corners with two out. Minnesota (13-14, 6-1 B1G) reliever Brett Schulze got the final out via strikeout to earn his fourth save of the year and propel the Golden Gophers into first place in the Big Ten Conference.

The game started as a pitchers' duel, pitting the league's two best hurlers against one another in Michigan's Tommy Henry and Minnesota's Max Meyer.

U-M jumped on Meyer for two runs in the first thanks to a leadoff double from sophomore Jordan Nwogu and an opposite-field two-run blast from sophomore Jesse Franklin. The hits were notable against the Minnesota ace, who had allowed just five extra-base hits entering the game.

Minnesota's Easton Bertrand led off the second with a long home run to left to make it a 2-1 game, but Henry responded by striking out the next three batters -- all swinging.

In the fourth, Minnesota benefitted from some rare wildness from Henry as the Gophers loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batsman followed by an infield RBI single and a sacrifice fly to claim a 3-2 lead.

Henry's control issues continued in the fifth as a pair of walks came back to hurt him when Jordan Kozicky connected for a two-out, three-run homer for a 6-2 advantage. Henry (5-2) took the loss after being tagged for six runs on six hits, with eight strikeouts, four walks and a hit batter over 6.1 innings. Four of those free passes ended up scoring, along with two runs via home runs.

U-M scratched for a run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-out infield single from sophomore Jack Blomgren with redshirt senior Miles Lewis (walk) scoring on the play after Minnesota's first baseman dropped the ball in a near collision with Blomgren running up the line. That led to the ninth-inning dramatics.

Meyer earned his third win of the season (3-1) after throwing 123 pitches over seven innings, scattering seven hits against three walks with five strikeouts.

Franklin finished the day 2-for-3 with two walks while sophomore Joe Donovan was 2-for-4 with two line-drive outs as he continues a hot streak during which he has made hard contact consistently in the past two weeks.

The Wolverines and Gophers will continue their three-game series on Saturday (April 6) with the middle game of the series, which is slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch from the Wilpon Complex.