Michigan Downs Grand Canyon Behind Big Third Inning, Clutch Relief Pitching

Sunday, February 19

Mesa, Ariz.

5:00 PM MT

Michigan

2-2

Grand Canyon

2-1

Grand Canyon

Michigan

Ted Burton (U-M Athletic Communications)

Michigan Downs Grand Canyon Behind Big Third Inning, Clutch Relief Pitching

2/19/2023 11:43:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Conor Stemme

MESA, Ariz. -- The University of Michigan baseball team finished out the MLB Desert Invitational with a huge win against Grand Canyon at Sloan Park, defeating the Lopes 6-4 behind a huge third inning and some timely pitching.

The Wolverines started the game slow, giving up two runs to start. GCU put runners on after a walk and an infield single after a tough throw by Cody Jefferis. With two outs in the inning, GCU had the bases loaded and had scored twice. Right-hander Ahmad Harajli struck out the final GCU batter of the inning preventing any more damage.

Ted Burton tried to get something going with a two-out double in the bottom half of the first but U-M could not capitalize.

The second inning started much like the first, with the second GCU batter of the frame walking to put some pressure on the Wolverines. However, the Maize and Blue was not phased and turned a 5-4-3 double play ending with a great heads-up tag by Jack Van Remortel. Michigan's highly touted offense showed promise in its second turn at the plate, scoring two a pair of runs to tie the game at 2.

Gabe Sotres launched a solo home run on the first pitch he saw to cut the deficit to one run. The homer was his second in four days after hitting zero in the 35 games he played at Michigan State. The next batter was Jake Marti, who walked and worked his way home without the benefit of a U-M hit -- on a wild pitch, a balk and a passed ball.

Noah Rennard relived Harajli, who walked the first batter of the third inning, and was dominant, striking out two in row before forcing the third batter to ground out to third base. The second inning was just a teaser, with the Wolverines offense plating four runs in the bottom of the third. Tito Flores battled to earn a walk on a 3-2 count and Burton was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with one out. Joey Velazquez doubled to left-center field, scoring Flores and Burton to give Michigan the lead. Sotres singled past short and then advanced to second on error with Velazquez moving to third. Marti hit a single up the middle to plate both runners and give Michigan a 6-2 lead. U-M continued the pressure with a single from Van Remortel and a walk of Greg Pace Jr. but could not extend the lead further.

Rennard stayed dominant in the fourth inning, pitching a 1-2-3 inning finished off with a strikeout to bring his total to three on the day. The Wolverines tried to add more in the bottom of the inning after a Flores single and Stores double, but Marti was just beat by a throw from short to first to end the inning.

The fifth saw another Rennard gem with another three-up, three-down inning but this time adding two punchouts to his tally on the night to keep Michigan's advantage at four runs.

The Lopes scored in the top of the sixth to cut the Michigan lead to 6-3. Rennard was lifted late in the inning in favor of Jake Keaser after tossing 3.1 innings and allowing two runs with six strikeouts against one walk. Keaser prevented any further damage behind a big 4-6 double play to end the inning.

Keaser came out to start the eigth inning but walked the first batter, and in came Mitch Voit from his third base position to make his mound debut. He showed some nerves early, throwing a wild pitch and allowing a run, charged to Keaser, to score but settled in a came up with a big strikeout and a flyout to end the inning.

Voit came back out on to the mound of the top of the ninth and struggled but was clutch when it counted with a strikeout for the second out. and after an intentional walk loaded the bases, he enduced a groundout for the game's final out.

Michigan will return to Ann Arbor for a few days before flying back out west to spend spring break in Califrona, starting with a weekend series at Cal State Fullerton beginning on Friday (Feb. 24) at 6 p.m. PT.