Michigan
43-19
Creighton
41-12
Michigan Falls After Late Creighton Rally; Teams to Meet in Elimination Game
6/2/2019 11:59:00 PM | Baseball
» Jimmy Kerr launched two homers, giving him four in three games.
» Joe Donovan hit a pair of doubles.
» Riley Bertram collected two doubles and three RBI, including a two-run double in the seventh inning.
» A Michigan victory Monday night will send the Wolverines to the Super Regionals.
Site: Corvallis, Ore. (Goss Stadium at Coleman Field)
Score: Creighton 11, Michigan 7
Records: U-M (43-19), Creighton (41-12)
Next U-M Event: Monday, June 3 -- vs. Creighton (Corvallis, Ore.), 4 p.m. PDT
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- No. 22-ranked Creighton scored seven runs in the ninth inning Sunday night (June 2) to overcome a late deficit and defeat the University of Michigan baseball team, 11-7, in an NCAA Tournament Corvallis Regional game at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
The teams will meet again Monday (June 3) at 4 p.m. PDT to determine the regional championship.
Michigan (43-19) led, 7-4, headed into the ninth inning but Creighton (41-12) battled back, scoring seven times on four hits and four walks against three U-M relievers.
Michigan started again without two of its star players due to injury, but rebounded from an early 2-0 deficit and appeared primed to win the game before the late-inning heroics by the Big East champion Bluejays.
Creighton claimed a first-inning lead, thanks to a leadoff double by Isaac Collins, a sacrifice bunt and fielder's choice groundout from Jake Holton.
Will Hanafan gave the visitors a 2-0 lead in the third when he popped a ball into the wind and just over the outfield wall for his first homer of the year.
Michigan answered in the bottom of the third. Sophonores Jordan Nwogu and Jesse Franklin singled to lead off the inning and senior Jimmy Kerr crushed a three-run homer over the batter's eye in center field. It was reported to be the first time a ball has cleared that wall by longtime workers at the stadium.
Sophomore Joe Donovan led off the sixth with a ringing double to left, his second of the day, to bring up freshman Riley Bertram, who fell behind in the count 0-2 after he was unable to get a bunt down. He responded by lining the next pitch he saw over the second baseman's head and then topped it by hustling into second base with an RBI double for a 4-2 U-M lead. Following a groundout that moved Bertram to third, Creighton went to the bullpen and situational lefty Ryan Connolly got out of trouble with a strikeout and grounder.
Michigan junior starter Tommy Henry kept Creighton off-balance and struck out seven batters against five hits and three runs allowed over 7.1 innings.
Michigan got breathing room in the seventh thanks to a combination of familiar and new faces. Big Ten Player of the Year Jordan Brewer pinch-hit and singled to start the frame. A walk to Christan Bullock had  Michigan poised for a big inning, but a pair of outs set the stage for a tense showdown with Bertram. The freshman calmly drove a 2-2 slider inside the first-base bag for a huge two-run double and a 6-2 lead.
Creighton finally chased Henry from the game in the eighth when Upton connected for a solo homer with one out. Freshman Willie Weiss entered the game but struggled with his command as he loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter with two outs. Redshirt junior left-hander Benjamin Keizer entered and allowed another run to come home before working out of further trouble.
In the bottom of the frame, Kerr launched a moon-shot homer deep over the wall in right for his fourth home run in three games at the regional, but the Michigan bullpen could not suppress Creighton's comeback in the top of the inning.
Kerr collected two hits -- both homers -- and four RBI, while Bertram (three RBI) and Donovan rapped two doubles each.
Junior right-hander Jack Weisenburger (3-1) took the loss as he allowed three ninth-inning runs on one hit and one walk in 0.1 innings.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bobby Kametas (3-0)
L: Weisenburger, Jack (3-1)
Batting:
2B: Isaac Collins 1 ; Will Robertson 1
HR: Parker Upton 1 ; Will Hanafan 1
RBI: Parker Upton 1 ; Jake Holton 2 ; Will Robertson 1 ; Jordan Hovey 1 ; Jason Allbery 2 ; Will Hanafan 3
SH: Parker Upton 1
SF: Jake Holton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Isaac Collins 2 ; Parker Upton 2 ; Jake Holton 1 ; Will Robertson 1 ; Jack Strunc 1 ; Jason Allbery 1 ; Garrett Gilbert 1 ; Will Hanafan 2
HBP: Jake Holton 1 ; Jason Allbery 1
Batting:
2B: Donovan, Joe 2 ; Bertram, Riley 2
3B: Bullock, Christan 1
HR: Kerr, Jimmy 2
RBI: Kerr, Jimmy 4 ; Bertram, Riley 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Nwogu, Jordan 1 ; Franklin, Jesse 1 ; Kerr, Jimmy 2 ; Brewer, Jordan 1 ; Bullock, Christan 1 ; Donovan, Joe 1
SB: Brewer, Jordan 1
HBP: Franklin, Jesse 1
