Bats Start Hot, O'Halloran Goes Distance in Series-Clinching Win Over MSU

Saturday, April 22

Ann Arbor, Mich.

2:00 PM

Michigan

21-17, 9-5

Michigan State

23-13, 6-5

Michigan State

Michigan

Connor O'Halloran (Michigan Photography)

Bats Start Hot, O'Halloran Goes Distance in Series-Clinching Win Over MSU

4/22/2023 6:22:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Conor Stemme

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team scored four first-inning runs and got a complete-game performance from Connor O'Halloran to defeat Michigan State 8-3 and earn a series win over the Spartans on Saturday (April 22) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

The Wolverines (21-17, 9-5 Big Ten) got things going early against the Spartans, plating four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Walks to Cody Jefferis and Ted Burton at the top of the order and a Jonathan Kim single loaded the bases. Two batters later, Joey Velazquez singled to score Jefferis and Burton to give Michigan a 2-0 lead. The next batter, Tito Flores, was hit by a pitch and Jack Van Remortel singled Kim and Velazquez home to put U-M ahead 4-0, a lead they would not relinquish.

Michigan State (23-13, 6-5 Big Ten) cut the lead in half, 4-2, in the top of the third after O'Halloran retired the first two batters on strikeouts. Three straight hits allowed the Spartans to score a pair of runs.

The Wolverines got to the Spartans again in the sixth inning, started by a home run from Jack Van Remortel. Voit reached on an error before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gabe Sotres. Back-to-back doubles from Jefferis and Burton added two more runs in the inning and gave U-M a 7-3 lead.

O'Halloran pitched the final three innings and faced the minimum nine batters with the help of a pair of double plays, one in the eighth and one in the ninth. Michigan added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Sotres doubled to lead off the inning, moved to third on a groundout and scampered home on a wild pitch.

O'Halloran's complete-game outing was the first of his career and earned him the win, moving his record to 7-2 on the year. He fanned five Spartans, running his career total to 188, which push him to No. 18 on the Michigan all-time list. Jefferis scored twice and Van Remortel drove in three runs to top the Wolverines on Saturday.

U-M will look to sweep Michigan State in the series finals on Sunday (April 22). First pitch at Ray Fisher Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on B1G+.