Michigan Bats Pace Doubleheader Split With Western Michigan

Saturday, February 17

Phoenix, Ariz.

1:00 PM MT

Michigan

0-2

Western Michigan

2-0

Western Michigan

Michigan

Jacob Denner (Michigan Photography)

Michigan Bats Pace Doubleheader Split With Western Michigan

2/17/2024 11:21:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 PDF Boxscore (Game 1)PDF Boxscore (Game 2)Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

» Michigan won its first game of the season 9-4 but dropped the first game of the day, 11-9 in 10 innings.
» Jonathan Kim had four hits on the day to lead the Wolverines with two runs and two RBI.
» Nine Wolverines scored at least one run in one of the two games.
» Collin Priest hit his first home run of his collegiate career and the season.

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The University of Michigan baseball team split a doubleheader against Western Michigan on Saturday (Feb. 17) at Camelback Ranch, falling in 11-9 in 10 innings in game one before winning the nightcap 9-4 in seven innings. The win was led by a complete-game performance by Jacob Denner.

Michigan (1-2) fell behind early in both games. In game one, Mitch Voit surrendered seven runs over the first two innings, while Denner allowed a pair of first-inning runs.

The Wolverine offense was up to the task. In the opener, U-M went on a scoring binge getting one run back in the third, followed by five in the fourth, two in the fifth and one more on the sixth. Heading into the seventh, Michigan led 9-8. In game two, Michigan tied the game at two in the bottom of the first, tacked on four in the third to take the lead and scored three times in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

Jonathan Kim collected two hits in each game to run his season total to eight through three games. Collin Priest hit his first collegiate home run in the third inning of game two while Brock Leitgeb hit a bases-clearing double to add insurance runs in the sixth inning.

Western Michigan (2-1) struck immediately in game one and led 7-0 after two. The Wolverines got on the board in the third inning when Mack Timbrook drew a one-out walk and scored on a Kim RBI single. After a rough first two innings, Voit settled in and had two three up, three down innings in a row before Connor Judge was brought on in relief and Voit moved to designated hitter.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, U-M brought the Broncos lead to one with a five-run frame. Cole Caruso led off the inning reaching on a three-base error and later scored on a bases-loaded walk. Kyle Dernedde was hit by a pitch, and Will Rogers and Greg Pace Jr. both drew a walk to load the bases. Stephen Hrustich drew another walk to scored Dernedde. Voit brought Rogers home with a sacrifice fly for the second out. Pace scored on an error by the third baseman and Joe Longo singled to score Hrustich before the inning ended. After four innings, U-M trailed 7-6.

Eamon Horwedel had a strong 3.2 innings of relief of Judge, allowing one walk and surrendering a run. Horwedel gave up just two hits and struck out four to keep U-M in a good position.

The Wolverines tied the game at eight in the bottom of the fifth after a Rogers double scored Dernedde from second. Pace singled, but Rogers was thrown out at home. Pace eventually scored when Hrustich reached on an error. In the bottom of the sixth, U-M took the lead for the first time, 9-8, as Longo singled which scored Voit, who reached on an error to start the inning.

The Maize and Blue loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but did not score. In the top of the ninth, WMU tied the game at nine with a sacrifice fly. The Broncos won the game after a two-run home run in the 10th and retiring the Wolverines in order.

The second game started much like the first with the Broncos jumping out to a quick lead in the first with a single and sacrifice fly doing the damage. The Wolverines responded immediately with a leadoff walk from Timbrook before an RBI single from Kim scored him. Voit doubled to center bringing home Kim and tying the game at two. The Broncos scored a run in the top of the second to regain the lead, 3-2.

Michigan took the lead in the bottom of the third inning, started by a leadoff bunt single from Kim. Voit followed with a single of his own and Priest's hit his first career homer -- a three run shot to left -- to give Michigan a 5-3 lead. Four more U-M batters reached base in the inning, with Hrustich getting hit by a pitch that scored Cole Caruso to push the lead to 6-3.

After the Michigan four-spot in the third, both teams cooled off with the teams combining for just one run and five hits over the next two innings.

Denner continued to be in control in the sixth and fired a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout to open the frame. Michigan added some insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth with a bases-clearing triple from Leitgeb.

Denner (1-0) returned to the mound in the top of the seventh and surrendered a leadoff double but retired the next three batters to earn the win.

Michigan wraps up the four-game series against the Broncos on Sunday (Feb. 18) at Camelback Ranch with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. MT.