Nwogu Delivers Walk-Off Double as Michigan Rallies, Advances Past Illinois

Thursday, May 23

Omaha, Neb.

9:00 AM CT

Michigan

39-17

Illinois

36-19

Illinois

Michigan

Jordan Nwogu

Nwogu Delivers Walk-Off Double as Michigan Rallies, Advances Past Illinois

5/23/2019 2:42:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Kurt Svoboda

» Jordan Nwogu's two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the ninth won the game.
» Ako Thomas' two-run double in the seventh tied the game at 3.
» Jeff Criswell struck out 10 batters over seven innings.

Site: Omaha, Neb. (TD Ameritrade Park)
Event: Big Ten Tournament (Day 2 of 5)
Score: Michigan 5, Illinois 4
Records: U-M (39-17), Illinois (36-19)
Next U-M Event: Friday, May 24 -- vs. Maryland or Ohio State (Omaha, Neb.), 4 p.m. CDT

OMAHA, Neb. -- Ann Arbor, Michigan, native Jordan Nwogu's two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning won the game as the second-seeded University of Michigan baseball team earned a 5-4 victory over Illinois in a Big Ten Tournament elimination game Thursday morning (May 23) at TD Ameritrade Park.

With Miles Lewis (single) on third and pinch-runner Christan Bullock at first base, Nwogu sent a 1-1 fastball from NCAA saves leader Garrett Acton deep to the gap in left-center, easily scoring Lewis and the speedy Bullock to cap an emotional comeback for the Wolverines. Michigan will await Maryland in a 4 p.m. CDT Friday showdown.

The victory not only kept Michigan (39-17) alive in the tournament but provided a timely win over a talented Illinois (36-19) team that entered play ranked No. 22 in the latest RPI rankings.

Illinois' Acton entered the game in the ninth inning with an NCAA-leading 19 saves on the season. He got a shaky out when Jimmy Kerr narrowly missed a home run to left field before allowing a sharp single to Lewis. Acton then sent an errant pickoff throw towards first, and Lewis scampered to second. Acton fell behind Harrison Salter in the count, 3-1, before inducing a groundout that moved Lewis to third base. Acton then fell behind Ako Thomas, 3-1, before eventually issuing a full-count walk. Bullock ran for Thomas and, moments later, Nwogu ended the game.

It marked the second rally in the game for Michigan, which also trailed 3-0 entering the bottom of the seventh inning before the Wolverines tied the game only to give up the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth.

U-M starting pitcher Jeff Criswell cruised through 3.2 innings, and earned six strikeouts in the first 11 outs before hitting Zac Taylor with a fastball and allowed an opposite-field RBI double to Kellen Sarver as the Illini claimed a 1-0 lead.

The Wolverines put runners on first and second via walks in the sixth inning, but Illinois starter Ty Weber induced an inning-ending groundout off the bat of Jordan Brewer to stay out of trouble.

The Illini padded their lead in the seventh. With one out, Sarver again connected for an opposite-field single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Cam McDonald was then handcuffed on a fastball but muscled a bloop single to right field to put runners on the corners. Jack Yalowitz then laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt for the second run. Grant Van Scoy then laced a double inside the third-base bag, and Yalowitz scored all the way from first to make it 3-0.

In the bottom of the seventh, Michigan loaded the bases on a single by Blake Nelson, double from Kerr and a walk to Lewis. Illinois went to closer Sean Leland and U-M countered with pinch-hitter Dominic Clementi, who worked the count full but bounded into what appeared to be a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. The out call at first base was overturned by video review after a Michigan challenge and the Wolverines were given a run and put runners on the corners with two outs for Thomas, who was clutch as he laced a double down the left-field line to tie the game at 3.

Michigan's bullpen could not continue the momentum. In the eighth, Benjamin Keizer struck out the first batter he saw, but yielded a walk and a single which forced Michigan back to the bullpen in favor of closer Willie Weiss. The freshman right-hander struggled with location as he walked the only two batters he faced to force in a run. Michigan went back to the bullpen to bring on Jack Weisenburger. The junior righty went to 3-2 counts on both hitters he faced, but got a clutch strikeout followed by a grounder to contain the damage.

Weisenburger earned the win (2-0) with 1.2 innings of one-hit relief during which he struck out two batters.

Criswell, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, struck out 10 batters over seven innings and scattered six hits.