Wolverines Batters Score Early, Enough in Midweek Win Over USC

Tuesday, February 27

Los Angeles, Calif.

6:00 PM PT

Michigan

3-5

USC

2-6

Michigan

USC

Chase Allen (Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Batters Score Early, Enough in Midweek Win Over USC

2/28/2024 12:32:00 AM | Baseball

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By: Conor Stemme

» Michigan won 8-5 over USC in its first midweek game of the season.
» Will Rogers hit a grand slam for his first home run at Michigan.
» Mitch Voit led the team with two hits on the night including one home run, his first of the season.
» Chase Allen struck out nine over six innings of work and allowed three runs.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Two home runs and strong pitching led the University of Michigan baseball team to an 8-5 victory over the USC Trojans on Tuesday night (Feb. 27) to clinch the Wolverines' first midweek win of the year at Page Stadium on the campus of Loyola Marymount.

Chase Allen led Michigan (3-5) on the mound with nine strikeouts, one short of a career high. He allowed just three runs over six innings of work to earn his second win of the season. Ricky Kidd came in from the bullpen in relief and earned his second save of the season after three innings with two strikeouts and two unearned runs.

Will Rogers hit a grand slam for his first home run as a Wolverine in the second inning which gave U-M the early lead. Mitch Voit and Jonathan Kim both scored twice in the game with Voit's second run coming on a two-run shot in ninth.

After 1-2-3 innings on both sides to start the game, U-M loaded the bases to start the second. Kim and Bradley Navarro walked while Cole Caruso laid down a bunt and was able to reach first. Rogers came to the plate and hit a moon shot over the left field wall for his first home run as a Wolverine. After a lineout to the shortstop, Greg Pace Jr. drew a walk and stole second base, but two strikeouts ended the inning.

USC (2-6) got two runs back in the second after two quick outs started the inning. The Trojans strung together three hits -- two singles and a double -- which scored two runners. Allen was able to strand the final runner with a strikeout to end the inning.

U-M got the two runs back immediately in the top of the third. Voit singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second as Kim drew his second walk of the game. Navarro laid down a sacrifice bunt which moved the runners to scoring position, and Caruso hit an infield chopper to the first baseman who fired it past the pitcher on the out attempt, scoring both Voit and Kim and allowing Caruso to reach second. U-M did not score again in the frame as a fielder's choice and a strikeout ended the inning.

Allen settled in after the second and retired nine of the next 11 batters he faced, including seven straight. He tallied four strikeouts in the stretch which added to his three from the first two innings. The two batters who were not retired walked and doubled back-to-back which scored a run. U-M only managed one baserunner in the fourth and one in the sixth, with neither advancing past first base.

In the bottom of the sixth, USC threatened with a leadoff single. After another strikeout for Allen, the Trojans singled through the right side, and the runner on first tried to score but Pace Jr. fired the ball right on target from right field and Rogers tagged the runner out at home. USC added another single in the inning, but Allen's ninth strikeout of the night ended the inning.

Kim singled with two outs in the top of the seventh and moved to second on a balk, but a strikeout ended the inning.

Kidd came in to relieve Allen in the top of the seventh and after a flyout to center field, USC had two runners on base. Kidd escaped the jam with an infield flyout to Voit and a groundout to second. Both sides were scoreless in the eighth as Kidd fired a 1-2-3 inning.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, Mack Timbrook drew a full count walk. Timbrook came around to score on a Voit two-run home run to right field which put U-M up 8-3.

Kidd retook the mound for the bottom of the ninth and surrendered two unearned runs to the Trojans on a two-run home run with two outs, which came after an outfield error that would have ended the inning. The next USC batter reached base on a walk, but Kidd got the final batter swinging to earn his second save of the season and give U-M an 8-5 victory.

The Wolverines will return to Page Stadium on Wednesday (Feb. 27) for a midweek contest against the Loyola Marymount Lions at 6:00 p.m. PT with the game streaming live on ESPN+.