Michigan Rallies Past Indiana in 11 Innings to Retain B1G Lead

Sunday, May 12

Ann Arbor, Mich.

2:00 PM

Michigan

37-13, 15-5

Indiana

33-18, 14-7

Indiana

Michigan

Michigan Rallies Past Indiana in 11 Innings to Retain B1G Lead

5/12/2019 7:47:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo gallery

By: Kurt Svoboda

» Ako Thomas scored the game-winning run in the 11th on a fielder's choice.
» Isaiah Paige earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief.
» Michigan leads the Big Ten by 1.5 games over Indiana with three games remaining.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: Michigan 6, Indiana 5 (11 inn.)
Records: U-M (37-13, 15-5 B1G), Indiana (33-18, 14-7 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, May 14 -- at Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Jordan Brewer's bases-loaded grounder in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Ako Thomas with the winning run as the University of Michigan baseball team defeated Indiana, 6-5, Sunday afternoon (May 12) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

In a game that lasted four hours, 10 minutes, Thomas led off the 11th inning with a walk. Nwogu laid down a perfect bunt down the third-base line that went for a single to put runners on first and second. Sophomore center fielder Jesse Franklin worked the count to 3-0 before eventually being hit with a 3-1 fastball from losing pitcher Grant Sloan (2-3). Indiana went to closer Braden Scott to face Brewer with no outs and the bases full. Indiana brought a fifth fielder to the infield, leaving two in the outfield against one of the league's leading hitters. Scott fell behind Brewer, 2-0, in the count before throwing a pair of strikes. On 2-2, Brewer laced a ball destined for center but Indiana second baseman Drew Ashley dove to stop it only to see his throw home bounce away with Thomas scoring the winning run.

With the win Michigan improved to 37-13 overall and 15-5 in the Big Ten and increased its first-place lead to 1.5 games over the Hoosiers atop the conference standings with three games to play (at Nebraska; Indiana will host Rutgers). Indiana fell to 33-18 overall with a 14-7 conference record.

Michigan out-hit Indiana again Sunday as the Wolverines collected 12 of them, led by Nwogu, Thomas, sophomore catcher Joe Donovan and sophomore shortstop Jack Blomgren -- all of whom had two.

Michigan due itself a hole in the fourth inning when the Wolverines committed a four errors with Indiana scoring a run without the benefit of a hit or getting the ball out of the infield. U-M sophomore starter Jeff Criswell worked his way out of the jam by getting an inning-ending strikeout -- his fourth of the game.

Defensive woes allowed Indiana to score a second run in the fifth inning. With runners on the corners and two outs, a passed ball allowed the runner from third to score and the runner on first to advance to third. The error was the Wolverine's fifth of the day.

Michigan put together a two-out rally in the fifth to tie the game at 5. Thomas and Nwogu singled to lead off the inning only to see IU's Andrew Saalfrank strike out the next two batters. Redshirt senior left fielder Miles Lewis stepped to the plate and, on a 1-1 count, smashed a double off the wall in right field to tie the game.

The Wolverines struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Thomas turned on a 91-mph fastball from Saalfrank and drove a two-run double down the left-field line to score Blomgren (walk) and Donovan (bunt single).

Criswell was impressive again as the sophomore scattered three hits while striking out six batters in a six-inning no-decision.

Michigan's bullpen could not hold the lead. Redshirt junior reliever Benjamin Keizer got a strikeout to start the frame but then yielded a walk and seeing-eye single. Junior right-hander Jack Weisenburger came on and walked the first batter he saw to load the bases. Michgan went back to the bullpen for freshman closer Willie Weiss but Drew Ashley connected for a sinking liner that barely went beyond the leaping grab of Blomgren at shortstop. Two runs came home to tie the game at 4, then the Hoosiers took a 5-4 lead on a bases-loaded walk before Weiss worked out of the inning with a strikeout.

Michigan tied the game again with a two-out rally. Senior first baseman Jimmy Kerr laced a double to right with two outs and, with two strikes, Blomgren lifted a long double to right field to tie things up at 5.

The game went into the 10th inning, where redshirt freshman righty Isaiah Paige got a pair of strikeouts en route to two impressive scoreless innings as he improved to 4-0 on the season.

Michigan will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, for a Tuesday (May 14) matchup against the Wildcats at 7 p.m., in the Wolverines' final regular-season non-conference game before continuing on to Lincoln, Nebraska for its final Big Ten series of the season against the Cornhuskers, Thursday through Saturday (May 16-18).