No. 16 U-M Drops Midweek Game at Central Michigan

Wednesday, May 10

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

4:05 PM

Michigan

36-12

Central Michigan

26-22

Michigan

Central Michigan

5/10/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 10, 2017

» Drew Lugbauer had a team-high two hits.
» Scattering just three hits, starting pitcher Jayce Vancena tossed a career-high 5.2 innings.
» The loss is Michigan's first to an in-state foe this season.

• Box Score

Site: Mount Pleasant, Mich. (Theunnisen Stadium)
Score: Central Michigan 4, #16 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (36-12), CMU (26-22)
Next U-M Event: Friday, May 12 -- at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.), 6 p.m.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Four hits and three scoring innings were not enough on Wednesday (May 10), as the No. 16-ranked University of Michigan baseball team dropped a midweek contest at Central Michigan by a score of 4-3 inside Theunnisen Stadium. The loss came in walk-off fashion, as the Chippewas scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth for the win.

The Wednesday night loss is Michigan's first to an in-state foe this season.

Michigan went scoreless in the top of the first inning, but Central Michigan came out swinging in the bottom of the frame for an early lead. With one out, the Chippewas sent a single to right field for their first hit of the day, and the following batter sent a ball deep over the right-field wall for a two-run home run.

After two scoreless innings of play, Michigan cut the deficit to one in the top of the fourth inning. Senior Michael Brdar got things started with a one-out walk, and junior Drew Lugbauer followed with Michigan's first hit of the afternoon on a single to left field. A wild pitch then allowed both runners to advance into scoring position, and it was sophomore Miles Lewis who came up clutch with the RBI sacrifice fly out to center field.

Neither team scored again until the top of the seventh, when Michigan added a run to tie the score. Lugbauer led off the outing with a double down the right-field line, marking the Wolverines' second hit of the afternoon. He was soon joined on the bases as Lewis drew a walk, but a sacrifice bunt attempt resulted in the lead out at third and left Lewis and sophomore Nick Poirier on base with one out. The pair then executed a double-steal attempt, and a perfect squeeze bunt by sophomore Jimmy Kerr allowed Lewis to score and tie the game.

Central Michigan threatened with bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning, but senior reliever Keith Lehmann got out of the jam with a strikeout and a fly out.

The Wolverines put a runner on base in the top of the eighth, but Michigan did not score until the top of the ninth. Lewis started the rally with a single up the middle, then stole second and advanced to third on a catcher's throwing error. From there, Poirier came up with the clutch RBI double down the right-field line for Michigan's go-ahead run.

Despite a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, a hit batter, a single and a walk-off RBI double gave Central Michigan the ball game by a 4-3 score.

Overall, the Wolverines tallied four hits on the day, as Lugbauer led the team with two, and Lewis and Poirier picked up one apiece. Michigan walked four times in the effort.

RHP Jayce Vancena tossed a career-high 5.2 innings in the contest, allowing two runs in the top of the first but holding the Chippewas scoreless from there. He surrendered just three hits and walked three, marking his first walks of the season.

Freshman Karl Kauffmann and sophomore William Tribucher both tossed two-thirds of an inning out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit and a walk between the two of them.

Lehmann was saddled with the loss in the effort, marking his first decision of the season.

The Wolverines will return to action on Friday (May 12) when they return to Big Ten Conference action with a three-game series at Purdue. First pitch for Friday's game is set for 6 p.m. in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt