Michigan Topples No. 2 Virginia in Extras to Open Puerto Rico Challenge

Friday, February 14

Ponce, Puerto Rico

2:00 PM AST

Michigan

1-0

Virginia

0-1

Virginia

Michigan

Matt Spear (Michigan Photography)

Michigan Topples No. 2 Virginia in Extras to Open Puerto Rico Challenge

2/14/2025 6:55:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Conor Stemme

» Michigan took down No. 2-ranked Virginia in the opening game of the Puerto Rico Challenge.
» Matt Spear hit a two-run home run and brought home the winning run in the 11th inning.
» Mitch Voit went 2-for-4 with two runs, including the game-winner run.
» Gavin DeVooght earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings to finish the game.

PONCE, Puerto Rico. -- Matt Spear plated Mitch Voit from first base in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the University of Michigan baseball team to a 5-4 upset victory over No. 2-ranked Virginia on Friday (Feb. 14) in its opening game at the Puerto Rico Challenge at Estadio Francisco Montaner.

Voit drew a full-count walk to open the home half of the inning. With one out, Spear came to the plate and executed a hit-and-run pulling a hard-hit grounder to the first baseman, who misplayed it into foul territory, and Voit sprinted all the way around to score and end the game.

Spear led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a two-run home run -- his first as a Wolverine to give the Wolverines the lead in the sixth inning and three RBI. Voit was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Starter Dylan Vigue threw 5.1 innings of two-run ball, scattering six hits and striking out three. U-M's final three pitchers allowed just one baserunner and struck out five in four innings with Gavin DeVooght (1-0) earning the win in relief.

Michigan (1-0) jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Benny Casillas singled with one out and advanced to second on a Jeter Ybarra walk. Voit brought Casillas home with a double to the right-field wall, and Ybarra scored on a Colby Turner groundout.

A hit-by-pitch opened the top of the Virginia fourth inning, but U-M turned a double play to erase the threat. Later in the inning, UVA scored on a double steal with the lead runner reaching the plate from third base to cut the lead in half, 2-1.

Virigina knotted the game in the fifth with a two-out double followed by a single, but Vigue forced a groundout later in the inning that stranded two Cavaliers.

Vigue started the sixth inning with a strikeout before Wyatt Novara came on in relief, striking out the next two batters to end the frame. In the bottom of the inning, Voit led off with a single and after an out, Spear launched a ball over the center-field wall for his first home run as a Wolverine.

UVA matched U-M's home run with one of its own in the top of the seventh to tie the game at four.

U-M used three different pitchers in the eighth inning and faced the minimum three batters. Novara allowed a single before Grant Bradley came in and recorded the first strikeout of his collegiate career. Cade Connolly was next out of the bullpen and after Spear threw out the runner attempting to steal second base, Connolly struck out the batter to end the inning.

Connolly returned to the mound for the ninth inning and forced a flyout and recorded a strikeout before DeVooght entered the game and recorded his first U-M strikeout. He and the Wolverines kept Virginia scoreless in the 10 and 11th innings to set up the game-winning bottom of the frame.

Michigan returns to action for day two of the Puerto Rico Challenge on Saturday (Feb. 15) at 2 p.m. AST against Rice. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.