U-M Comeback Falls Short Despite Flores' Grand Slam

Saturday, March 5

Greenville, N.C.

4:30 PM

Michigan

7-4

East Carolina

5-5

Michigan

East Carolina

Michigan pregame at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville, N.C.

3/5/2022 8:23:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Kurt Svoboda

» ECU became the first team to hit a home run against U-M this season and the Pirates connected for three long balls from the seventh inning on.
» Matt Frey had three hits while Ted Burton, Tito Flores, Jimmy Obertop, and Joe Stewart all had two hits for U-M.
» Burton hit a two-run homer in the first inning.
» Flores hit a grand slam in the ninth inning.

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The University of Michigan baseball team saw a ninth-inning rally come up short Saturday night (March 5) as the Wolverines dropped its first game of the Keith LeClair Classic to East Carolina in a 10-8 decision to ECU at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Trailing, 10-3, in the ninth, Michigan mounted a comeback as Matt Frey earned his third hit of the game to score a run. U-M loaded the bases with one out and forced ECU to the bullpen for its sixth pitcher of the night.

C.J. Mayhue came on to face Tito Flores and Flores unloaded a grand slam to centerfield to make it a 10-8 game and send ECU back to the bullpen for its seventh pitcher.

Nick Logusch came on in relief and gave up a pinch-hit double to Clark Elliott but responded with a pair of strikeouts to seal the win for ECU after being out-hit, 14-13.

Ted Burton continued his hot streak as he launched a 3-2 fastball high over everything in left field for an early 2-0 lead to score Joe Stewart, who singled to leadoff.

ECU stormed back in the bottom of the frame as the Pirates barreled several balls and took advantage of a dropped fly ball and an error on a grounder to score five times.

Michigan scratched for a run in the third as Matt Frey singled double Riley Bertram (double), but ECU starter Josh Grosz worked out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout.

Another fielding woe hurt Michigan in the seventh as ECU capitalized on a dropped popup to lead off the inning when Alec Makarewicz and Zach Agnois connected for two-out, two-run homers to give the Pirates a 9-3 lead.

ECU added a run in the eighth on another homer as the Pirates became the first team to hit a home run against the Michigan pitching staff in 2022.

Connor O'Halloran was the tough-luck loser. The lefty moved his scheduled start up a day and suffered through a first inning where his defense dropped a potential fly ball out and committed an error on a grounder, ultimately giving up five runs. He settled in and got through six innings, striking out four batters and scattering four hits after the opening frame.

Frey led all players with three hits while Burton, Flores, Stewart and Jimmy Obertop had two hits apiece for the Wolverines in a losing effort.

Michigan will complete tournament play Sunday morning (March 6) with an 11 a.m. game against Indiana State.