Michigan
9-3
San Diego
6-3
Michigan Ends Spring Break with Win over San Diego
3/5/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 5, 2017
» Junior Alec Rennard tossed a near-perfect 3.1 innings of relief en route to his second victory of the season.
» The Wolverine pitching staff has surrendered just one earned run through the last three games.
» Michigan finishes its spring break trip with a 7-1 record and is now 9-3 on the season.
Site: Los Angeles, Calif. (Dodger Stadium)
Score: Michigan 3, San Diego 1
Records: U-M (8-3), USD (6-2)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 10 -- at Lipscomb (Nashville, Tenn.), 4 p.m. CST
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Dominant pitching performances from juniors Michael Hendrickson and Alec Rennard gave the University of Michigan baseball team the momentum it needed to close out its spring break trip with a 3-1 victory over San Diego on Sunday afternoon (March 5) inside Dodger Stadium.
Through nine days in California, Michigan finished its spring break trip with a 7-1 record and is now 9-3 on the season.
Hendrickson started on the mound for the Wolverines in the Sunday matinee, tossing 5.2 innings and surrendering one unearned run on five hits with four strikeouts. The no-decision outing is his third of the season, as the lefty still owns a record of 0-0.
Following Hendrickson's departure, Rennard toed the rubber for Michigan in his first relief appearance of the year. The righty finished out the game and allowed just one hit -- a bunt single in the ninth -- to earn the victory.
Overall, the Wolverines totaled seven hits in the contest but capitalized with runners in scoring position to drive in two of their three runs. Seniors Harrison Wenson and Johnny Slater each tallied RBI in the contest.
After holding San Diego scoreless in the top of the first, Michigan scored one run in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore Ako Thomas jumpstarted the at-bat by leading off with an infield single, and junior Jake Bivens followed with a walk. Two outs later, Wenson came up clutch with an RBI single to left field that gave Michigan a 1-0 lead early on.
Neither team scored through the next four innings, but two Michigan errors in the top of the sixth allowed San Diego to plate its first and only run of the contest, tying the game at 1-1.
The tie was short-lived, however, as Michigan responded in the bottom of the same inning with two runs to go up 3-1. Sophomore Nick Poirier got things going in the inning with a one-out walk and sophomore Jonathan Engelmann roped a single up the middle to give Michigan two men on base. Slater then stepped to the plate and sent a ground ball through the right side that allowed Poirier to score from second and give Michigan back the lead. After a fielder's choice gave the Wolverines runners on the corners, Engelmann took advantage of a San Diego wild pitch to score and force a 3-1 Michigan lead.
Though the lead was tight, San Diego had chances to score in the first, second, and sixth innings, but could not convert and stranded seven base runners on the day.
Michigan will return to play on Friday (March 10) when the Wolverines travel to Lipscomb for their final non-conference road series of the regular season. First pitch for Friday's game is set for 4 p.m. CST in Nashville, Tennessee.
Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rennard, Alec (2-0)
L: SANDUM, Miles (0-1)
Base Running:
RUNS: ADAMS, Riley 1
Batting:
2B: Lewis, Miles 1 ; Poirier, Nick 1
RBI: Wenson, Harrison 1 ; Slater, Johnny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Thomas, Ako 1 ; Poirier, Nick 1 ; Engelmann, Jonathan 1
