Michigan Rallies Late to Top Rutgers in Series Opener

Friday, April 23

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

19-7, 19-7

Rutgers

12-13, 12-13

Rutgers

Michigan

Riley Bertram (Andrew Woolley)

Michigan Rallies Late to Top Rutgers in Series Opener

4/23/2021 8:44:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Kurt Svoboda

» Michigan came back from deficits of 3-0 and 4-2, scoring two runs in the eighth inning to claim the victory.
» U-M relievers combined for four shutout innings.
» Michigan had five run-scoring hits that came with two strikes.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: #23 Michigan 6, Rutgers 4
Records: U-M (19-7, 19-7 B1G), RU (12-13, 12-13 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 24 -- vs. Rutgers (Ray Wilpon Complex), Noon

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan baseball team scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning Friday (April 23) as the Wolverines came back from a pair of multi-run deficits to defeat Rutgers by a score of 6-4 at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

Rutgers jumped on U-M starter Steve Hajjar with three unearned runs in the top of the first as a leadoff single, his throwing error on a sacrifice bunt and a walk paved the way for a two-out, three-run double from Evan Sleight.

Michigan edged closer with a pair of runs in the second inning on a Tito Flores RBI single to center and a sacrifice fly from Ted Burton.

Danny DiGeorgio popped a 316-foot homer just over the left-field wall in the fourth inning to make the score 4-2, but Michigan pulled even in the bottom of the fourth inning with some two-out magic.

Danny Zimmerman walked and stole second before Flores laced an RBI double down the line in left to score Zimmerman. Burton tied the game when he guided an 0-2 pitch inside the first-base bag for an RBI triple down the line in right.

Despite control issues and two throwing errors, Hajjar kept Rutgers off balance, striking out nine batters in his five innings of work against four hits in a no-decision. The Wolverines then went to Isaiah Paige, who dazzled with two strikeouts in two innings of hitless work. Joe Pace (3-1) threw a scoreless eighth inning to earn the win and Willie Weiss earned his third save, striking out the side in the ninth for a second consecutive Friday.

In between the relief pitching, Michigan continued to get timely hits. In the decisive eighth inning, Benjamin Sems got to Rutgers reliever Kyle Muller (1-2) for an infield single to lead off the inning. RU opted for closer Dale Stanavich, who got a pair of strikeouts, but got two strikes against Burton only to yield a hard single to center. Riley Bertram then delivered Sems with a hard single to center on a 2-2 pitch for the go-ahead run. Jordon Rogers added an insurance run with an opposite-field single to right on a 1-2 fastball.

Michigan had five run-scoring hits that came with two strikes. Rogers, Flores and Burton each had two hits to lead Michigan's 10-hit attack.

The series will continue Saturday (April 24) with a noon first pitch at the Wilpon Complex, and the game will be streamed live on Bog Ten Network+.