Michigan
11-10, 0
Nebraska
9-11, 0
Michigan Sets Big Ten Home Run Record, Falls at Nebraska
3/26/2022 12:31:00 AM | Baseball
» Michigan set a Big Ten record with four straight home runs with two outs in the fifth inning.
» Michigan pitchers walked 11 batters and hit four others. Â
» The loss marked the first time since 2017 that Michigan has lost its conference opener. Â
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The University of Michigan baseball team set a Big Ten Conference record with four consecutive home runs Friday (March 25), but the Wolverines' defense couldn't keep up as Nebraska emerged from a wild conference-opening game with a 13-9 decision at Haymarket Park.
The teams continue their series Saturday with a 2 p.m. local game time on B1G+. Â
Jimmy Obertop staked Michigan, which pounded out 16 hits in the game, to a first-inning lead as he laced an RBI double to the gap in left-center, but Nebraska starter Koty Frank (2-0) stranded a pair of runners in scoring position to limit the damage.
A dropped foul ball in the bottom of the first inning hurt Michigan defensively as Nebraska grabbed a 2-1 lead on a two-out double. However, the Wolverines tied the game in the top of the second with a little two-out bingo as Jordon Rogers singled and stole second before Clark Elliott drove an RBI single to center field.
In the third, a hit batter put the leadoff man on for Nebraska, and he came around to score on a sacrifice fly as the Huskers took a 3-2 lead.
In the fifth, the two-out magic was on full display as Michigan erupted for four consecutive home runs to silence the Nebraska fans. Matt Frey started it with a shot that almost left the stadium entirely. Obertop followed with a shot down the left-field line, Ted Burton sent one 400 feet over the wall in left-center and Tito Flores hit a line drive, opposite-field shot into the bleachers in right-center as Michigan claimed a 6-3 lead. The barrage set a Big Ten Conference record for consecutive home runs.
The lead was short-lived as Nebraska chased Connor O'Halloran (2-3) from the game in the bottom of the frame and reclaimed the lead thanks to a six-run inning with just four hits and a U-M error. The wheels then completely fell off in the next inning as Michigan surrendered four more two-out runs on three walks, three hit batters and an error as the Cornhuskers claimed a 13-6 lead.
Michigan didn't threaten thereafter, although Elliott added an RBI single in the eighth for his third hit of the night, Burton hit his second homer of the evening in the ninth for his third hit and Flores ended his day with two doubles and a homer. The Wolverines lost its conference-opening game for the first time since 2017.
All told, Michigan's 16 hits couldn't overcome a pitching staff that walked 11 batters, hit four more, and were further hurt by two defensive errors and two dropped foul balls. Freshman Avery Goldensoph was a bright spot out of the bullpen with the righty throwing 2.0 innings of hitless relief in which he collected his first career strikeout.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Frank, Koty (2-0)
L: Rennard, Noah (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Obertop, Jimmy 1 ; Flores, Tito 2 ; Bertram, Riley 1
HR: Frey, Matt 1 ; Obertop, Jimmy 1 ; Burton, Ted 2 ; Flores, Tito 1
RBI: Elliott, Clark 2 ; Frey, Matt 1 ; Obertop, Jimmy 2 ; Burton, Ted 2 ; Flores, Tito 1 ; Bertram, Riley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Elliott, Clark 1 ; Frey, Matt 1 ; Obertop, Jimmy 1 ; Burton, Ted 2 ; Flores, Tito 2 ; Bertram, Riley 1 ; Rogers, Jordon 1
SB: Burton, Ted 1 ; Rogers, Jordon 2
Batting:
2B: Anglim, Garrett 2
RBI: Matthews, Brice 2 ; Chick, Cam 1 ; Anderson, Max 1 ; Anglim, Garrett 6 ; Sartori, Luke 1
SF: Anglim, Garrett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Matthews, Brice 1 ; Chick, Cam 3 ; Anderson, Max 2 ; Everitt, Griffin 1 ; Anglim, Garrett 1 ; Jessen, Luke 1 ; Steil, Jack 2 ; Jackson, Core 1 ; Sartori, Luke 1
HBP: Matthews, Brice 1 ; Chick, Cam 2 ; Sartori, Luke 1
