Wolverines Take Second Game, Lose Road Series to Rutgers

Sunday, April 16

Piscataway, N.J.

10:30 AM

Michigan

19-15, 7-4

Rutgers (Suspended Game Completion)

19-16, 3-5

Michigan

Rutgers

Joe Longo (Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Take Second Game, Lose Road Series to Rutgers

4/16/2023 5:39:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 PDF Boxscore - Game 1 PDF Boxscore - Game 2

By: Conor Stemme

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The University of Michigan baseball team took a high-scoring weather-delayed game, 13-8, to start the day but fell in the final game of the series, 6-3, to Rutgers on Sunday (April 16) at Bainton Field.

On Saturday (April 15), U-M and Chase Allen started slow and allowed four runs in the first to the Scarlet Knights. Allen got the first batter looking, but then allowed the next six batters to reach with a grand slam scoring four.

Rutgers added two more in the second on another home run to take a 6-0 lead. U-M scored two in the top of the third with no hits. Gabe Sotres, Cody Jefferis and Ted Burton all drew walks to lead off the inning. Jonathan Kim grounded into a double play, but Sotres scored on the play with Jefferis advancing to third. Jefferis scored on the next pitch as it went wild.

Allen pitched a strong 1-2-3 inning in the third to keep the Wolverines in the game. U-M scored six runs with two outs across two days of play. Mitch Voit was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a single by Gabe Sotres with two outs. U-M got some more help from the Scarlet Knights with a passed ball to score Mitch Voit and then walked Jefferis. Ted Burton launched a home run to left center to tie the game at six. Jonathan Kim singled two pitches later, before the game was suspended until 10:30 a.m. on Sunday (April 16).

The game resumed with Kim on first and Joe Longo batting. Longo continued the strong inning with a home run to left field which gave Michigan its first lead of the series against Rutgers. Connor O'Halloran took the mound for the Wolverines and had a great performance going all six innings to earn the win. O'Halloran started with a 1-2-3 inning before the Scarlet Knights tied it up in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff triple, error and double. Rutgers added pressure with the bases loaded, but O'Halloran struck out the final two batters of the inning to leave the bases loaded.

U-M had its chances in the sixth and seventh leaving five runners on base across the two innings but broke the game open in the eighth. Jack Van Remortel singled to right field to score Greg Pace Jr. from second base. Pace Jr. advanced to second on a field pickoff attempt after he pinch-ran for Longo, who drew a walk with one out. Jake Marti hit an infield single and advanced to second after an error. Voit reached on the error by the Rutgers second baseman as Van Remortel and Marti scored.

The Wolverines added two more in the top of the ninth after loading the bases with one out. O'Halloran tried to drive in the runners but struck out for the second out. Van Remortel singled to left, which scored Kim and Burton and give the Wolverines a 13-8 lead.

O'Halloran returned to the mound for the ninth and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to retire the side and win the game as he moves to 6-2 on the season. Over his six innings pitched, O'Halloran allowed just three hits and one earned run while striking out six Scarlet Knights.

In the second game of the day, U-M started strong as Jefferis walked to lead off the inning. U-M loaded the bases after a single from Kim and a hit by pitch, but the inning ended with a double play. Noah Rennard was strong to start the game with a 1-2-3 inning in the first and allowed just a walk through the second.

Rutgers got the lead in the third after a single to center field which Kim tried to make a play on, but it was ruled a no-catch by the umpire. A runner scored on the play from second who reached on a single and moved to second on a wild pitch.

The Wolverines struggled on offense going down in order in the third and fourth. Rutgers added four in the fourth inning as the first four batters reached with one runner scoring. The Scarlet Knights lineout to third for the first out of the inning, but then scored with the next three batters on a fielder's choice and two singles. Voit took the mound from Rennard and retired the final batter of the inning.

U-M had a chance in the fifth with two runners on with just one out. Tito Flores was hit by a pitch, his second of the game and advanced to second on a Sotres single. The Wolverines could not convert though as the next two batters were retired. Rutgers added another to their tally with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth.

Voit settled in after he allowed a leadoff ground-rule double as he pitched two scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh.

Michigan scored its first runs of the game in the eighth which started with a leadoff walk from Jefferis. Kim walked with one out before Longo singled to score Jefferis. Van Remortel doubled to left center with two outs which scored Longo and Kim. Van Remortel was left on base as a groundout ended the inning.

Jacob Denner pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning to give Michigan a chance in the ninth. Jefferies prolonged the game with a two-out walk, but was left on base to end the game.

The Wolverines will return to Ann Arbor to kick off an eight-game homestand with a midweek contest against Toledo on Wednesday (April 19) at 4 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.