Three Homers Pace Wolverines as U-M Splits Doubleheader With Nebraska

Friday, May 17

Lincoln, Neb.

3:00 PM CT

Michigan

37-16, 15-7

Nebraska

28-19, 15-8

Michigan

Nebraska

Jordan Nwogu

Three Homers Pace Wolverines as U-M Splits Doubleheader With Nebraska

5/17/2019 11:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Kurt Svoboda

» Michigan hit a trio of home runs coming off the bats of Jimmy Kerr, Jordan Nwogu and Jack Blomgren in game two.
» U-M combined for 12 hits, with Nwogu, Blake Nelson and Kerr all getting two hits apiece.
» The Wolverines fell, 7-0, in the first game of the twin bill.
» Michigan is tied with Indiana atop of the Big Ten standings. A Hoosiers loss to Rutgers on Saturday (May 18) would give U-M the outright Big Ten regular-season title.

Site: Hawks Field at Haymarket Park (Lincoln, Neb.)
Scores: Nebraska 7, Michigan 0; Michigan 10, Nebraska 8
Records: U-M (38-16, 16-7 B1G), Nebraska (28-20, 15-9 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Wed-Sun., May 22-26 -- at Big Ten Tournament (Omaha, Neb.)

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The University of Michigan baseball team powered its way to a 10-8 win over Nebraska in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Friday (May 17) thanks to a trio of home runs as part of a 12-hit night at Hawks Field. The Wolverines dropped the first game, 7-0.

With the doubleheader split, Michigan ended its regular season schedule tied with Indiana atop the Big Ten standings. The Hoosiers, however, have a game on Saturday (May 18) against Rutgers. If the Scarlet Knights win, the Wolverines will be the outright Big Ten regular-season champion. An Indiana will give it the title.

Game two -- originally scheduled for 8 p.m. CDT -- began at 9:45 p.m. due to weather and Michigan wasted little time in getting the offense started. U-M jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Blake Nelson drove in Jordan Nwogu, who reached base on a leadoff walk, with a single to left-center. The Wolverines loaded the bases before a fielder's choice to third base ended the threat.

Michigan extended its lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning with a pair of runs. Jimmy Kerr singled on a ball hit to the first baseman, took second when the throw to the pitcher covering first base went astray and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Miles Lewis walked to put runners on the corners and advanced to second on a Harrison Salter groundout that scored Kerr from third. Senior second baseman Ako Thomas lined a single to left field that brought home Lewis from second.

Starting pitcher Jeff Criswell (6-1) was in a groove early, recording five strikeouts through three innings and not giving up a hit until the fourth, when Nebraska recorded four of them, which included a two-RBI double to deep center field to give the the Cornhuskers a 4-3 lead.

Nebraska increased its lead to two, 5-3, when Cam Chick hit a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Michigan responded quickly with five runs in the top of the sixth. Kerr evened the score at 5 with a two-run homer to left before Nwogu hit a three-run shot four batters later to help the Wolverines reclaim the lead at 8-5.

Blomgren joined the home run parade with a leadoff solo homer to left in the seventh inning to extend Michigan's lead to 9-5.

The teams exchanged runs in the seventh inning, and in the eighth the Wolverines took a 10-6 lead on a Blomgren sacrifice fly that scored Nwogu.

Nebraska added two in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to two runs and with two outs threatened with the bases loaded before Jack Weisenburger arrived from the bullpen and induced a soft liner that was caught by Thomas to end the rally.

In the bottom of the ninth, a leadoff hit-by-pitch was followed by a strikeout and a 6-4-3 double-play grounder that ended the game.

In the first game of the day, the teams were scoreless until the third inning when Nebraska got on the board when a pair of singles and a groundout to short gave the Cornhuskers a 1-0 lead.

Michigan started the fifth inning with a walk issued to Kerr, and was followed by a Nwogu fly ball that was lost in the sun and dropped by the left fielder. Shortstop Jack Blomgren walked to load the bases with two outs, but a Lewis fly out to right field ended the inning.

Nebraska rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, which included back-to-back home runs. The Huskers got consecutive singles to start the frame, then a bunt down the third-base line by Ale Henwood was overthrown to first and scored pinch-runner Keegan Watson. Jordan Hallmark came to the plate with one out and hit a three-run homer to left field to drive in three. Two batters later, Panelsky connected on a solo shot to left to give the hosts a 6-0 lead.

Michigan starter Tommy Henry (8-5) took the loss as he allowed five runs on 10 hits and one walk with five strikeouts over 5.1 innings. Isaiah Page tossed 2.2 innings of relief and was touched for two runs on two hits; he strick out three and walked two.

Michigan will await the outcome of Saturday's Indiana-Rutgers game to find out what seed the Wolverines will earn for the upcoming Big Ten Tournament, which will begin on Wednesday (May 22) at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska.