Baseball walks off Iowa in B1G Tournament 10th inning victory

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

After a disapponting 5-8 finish to a B1G season that started out 10-0, Michigan has but one way to make the NCAA Tournament: win the B1G Tournament.

The 3 seed giants got off to a rocky start today, as a pitching change was needed just 1.1 innings in when Tommy Henry was struck by a comebacker and left the game (he still managed to get the out though).

Iowa took advantage and got on the board with an unearned run to go up 1-0.

But the freshman phenom Jesse Franklin took the game into his own hands. He jacked a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th into the right field seats at TD Ameritrade Park, to tie the game at 1-1.Something interesting to note: this park in Omaha is also the annual site of the College World Series and it is notorious for being difficult to hit home runs in. 

The game stayed at 1-1 and went all the way into extra innings.

After Iowa walked two consecutive Wolverine batters, Jonathan Engelmann got on with a base hit and Michigan had bases loaded with one out and Jesse Franklin up to bat.

He predictably ended it with a fly ball deep into RF that allowed Christian Bullock to come home and score, with the Wolverine dugout pouring onto the field celebrating the 2-1 Michigan win.

3 Michigan advances to the B1G Tournament Quarterfinals and will play 2 Purdue tomorrow at 6pm. Michigan closed the regular season at Purdue last weekend and was swept. We'll see if we can get the all-important tournament win. 

aMAIZEinBLUEinTX

May 23rd, 2018 at 6:51 PM ^

UM threw a 1-hitter in 10 innings this morning, retiring 20 (I believe?) consecutive batters in order to end the game. 

Coulda/woulda/shoulda taken that Purdon't game last Sunday...revenge is due.

Any official word on who will toe the rubber for us tomorrow?

Alton

May 23rd, 2018 at 7:16 PM ^

You have to think it will be Ben Dragani, who has been the #2 pitcher all year.  Kauffmann, the #3, did a little better against Purdue last week, but not so much that it would make sense to switch the rotation, IMO.

A win tomorrow is huge:  the winner gets Friday off and then gets 2 chances to win 1 game Saturday to advance to the Sunday championship game.

Engin77

May 23rd, 2018 at 7:31 PM ^

You provided season background, underscoring the importance of winning the tournament.

Your post was timely and well crafted.

Beat the Boilermakers!

Ty Butterfield

May 23rd, 2018 at 9:06 PM ^

Great win. Would be nice to get some revenge on Purdue just like in the basketball conference tournament.

Maize4Life

May 24th, 2018 at 2:32 PM ^

Baseball sure has had their opportunities the last 3 years but every year there is a end of season collapse..I mean like BIG Collapse so I dont have high hopes

In reply to by Maize4Life

aMAIZEinBLUEinTX

May 24th, 2018 at 4:27 PM ^

How have 'the last 3 years' been such a big collapse?

Curious, as Michigan has made the NCAA Tourney 2 of those 3 years - the only 2 of the last decade. 

2015 - A great B1G end of season run transitioning to a B1G tourney championship, followed by a NCAA tourney win as a #3 seed against a #2, and then a 4-3 loss against the #2 overall 1-seed at their place, followed by another W against the #2 seed and loss to the same powerhouse #1 is hardly underachieving, 2-2 against NCAA teams ranked ahead of you on the road...

2017 - Selected as an at-large for the first time since I can remember, great season...yes, lost 2 NCAA tourney games.

If anything, I believe the premise should be what a renaissance/statement the team has had the last 3 years after a 'dead' decade, as opposed to a 'collapse' narrative, just my 2c