Michigan
8-3
USC
6-4
Michigan Upends USC Behind Nutof's Strong Mound Effort
3/5/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 4, 2017
» Junior Ryan Nutof tossed a gem of a game, allowing just one run on two hits with a season-high eight strikeouts.
» The Wolverines pitching staff tied its season high with 12 strikeouts.
» Michigan is now 6-1 on its spring break trip with a final game to be played Sunday (March 5) vs. San Diego at Dodger Stadium.
Site: Los Angeles, Calif. (Dedeaux Field)
Score: Michigan 4, USC 1
Records: U-M (8-3), USC (6-4)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 5 -- vs. San Diego at Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.), 11 a.m. PST
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Timely hitting and a solid pitching performance were key as the University of Michigan baseball team defeated USC by a 4-1 score at the Trojans' home ballpark Saturday night (March 4).
The Wolverines are now 6-1 on their spring break trip with just one game left.
Junior Ryan Nutof earned the victory for Michigan, improving to 2-0 on the season. The righty threw 6.1 innings, allowing just one run on two hits. He struck out a season-high eight and did not allow a hit through the first four innings.
Michigan scored first, plating a run in the bottom of the second inning. Sophomore Jonathan Engelmann got the outing started with a two-out single up the middle, and senior Johnny Slater put Michigan on the board with an RBI double to left-centerfield.
The Wolverines tacked on two more in the top of the third as USC began to unravel. Junior Jake Bivens led off the inning with a single to rightfield, and sophomore Miles Lewis followed with a single to left. From there, junior Drew Lugbauer reached on a fielder's choice that resulted in an out at second, and senior Harrison Wenson came up with the RBI double to score Bivens before Lugbauer was thrown out at the plate. A walk to senior Michael Brdar then gave Michigan two men on with one out, and sophomore Nick Poirier reached on a Trojan error that allowed Wenson to score from second for a 3-0 Michigan lead.
USC got one back in the top of the fifth, as Nutof surrendered his first hit of the day, a solo home run over the centerfield wall.
Despite the Trojan rally, the Wolverines answered in the top of the sixth to score one of their own and take a 4-1 lead. Poirier led off the inning with his first triple of the season, sending the first pitch of his at-bat deep to the right-center gap. Two quick outs later, sophomore Ako Thomas fought off multiple two-strike pitches for an RBI single through the right side to give Michigan a three-run cushion.
Neither team scored through the remainder of the contest, though USC loaded the bases in the seventh and put two men on in the eighth.
Senior reliever Jackson Lamb closed out all USC hope in the bottom of the eighth, coming in with two men on and getting a strikeout to end the inning. He also tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning en route to his second save of the year.
Overall, the Michigan pitching staff allowed just four USC hits and struck out 12 batters to tie the Wolverines' season high.
Michigan will play the final game of its spring break trip on Sunday (March 5) as the Wolverines face off against San Diego in a neutral-site game. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m. PST inside Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Nutof, Ryan (1-0)
L: Wegman, Brad (1-1)
S: Lamb, Jackson (2)
Batting:
2B: Lewis, Miles 1 ; Wenson, Harrison 1 ; Slater, Johnny 1
3B: Poirier, Nick 1
RBI: Thomas, Ako 1 ; Wenson, Harrison 1 ; Slater, Johnny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bivens, Jake 1 ; Wenson, Harrison 1 ; Poirier, Nick 1 ; Engelmann, Jonathan 1
SB: Thomas, Ako 2 ; Poirier, Nick 1
HBP: Bivens, Jake 1
Batting:
HR: Carrillo, Adalberto 1
RBI: Carrillo, Adalberto 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Carrillo, Adalberto 1
HBP: Nootbaar, Lars 1
