Michigan Drops NCAA Tourney Opener to FGCU

Friday, June 2

Chapel Hill, N.C.

1:00 PM

Michigan

42-16

Florida Gulf Coast

43-18

Michigan

FGCU

Johnny Slater (right) and Nick Schnabel

6/2/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Katie Gwinn Hewitt

» Miles Lewis led the Wolverines with two hits, while Jake Bivens and Johnny Slater walked twice.
» Slater picked up his fifth homer of the season with a solo shot in the second.
» Michigan will now enter the loser's bracket and play the loser of North Carolina vs. Davidson tomorrow (Saturday, June 3) at 1 p.m.

Site: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Boshamer Stadium)
Event: NCAA Regional
Score: FGCU 10, #24 Michigan 6
Records: U-M (42-16), FGCU (43-18)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, June 3 -- vs. North Carolina - NCAA Tournament (Chapel Hill, N.C.), 1 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Despite forcing an early lead with two runs in the top of the first, the No. 24-ranked University of Michigan baseball team surrendered 10 runs in the opening game of the NCAA Regional at UNC and fell to the No. 2-seeded Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles by a 10-6 score Friday (June 2) inside Boshamer Stadium.

The Wolverines will now enter the loser's bracket and face No. 2 North Carolina Saturday (June 3) at 1 p.m.

Michigan got on the board quickly in the top of the first inning, scoring two runs on just one hit for an early lead. Sophomore Ako Thomas led off the day with a free base on a catcher's interference and quickly stole second to give Michigan its first runner in scoring position. One out later, senior Michael Brdar took first on a fielder's choice that resulted in no out, but the following strikeout gave Michigan two away with two runners on. From there, sophomore Miles Lewis sent an RBI single to left-centerfield, which scored Thomas for the first run of the day. With two men still on base and two outs, junior Jake Bivens and sophomore Nick Poirier drew back-to-back walks, which scored Brdar and put the Wolverines up by two.

Following a 1-2-3 outing by lefty starter Oliver Jaskie in the bottom of the first, Michigan added a run in the top of the second on a solo home run by senior Johnny Slater to force a 3-0 lead.

The Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the second on two singles and a walk and added another in the bottom of the fourth to come within one.

Michigan answered in the top of the fifth, plating a run on a walk and two hits and forcing FGCU to make a call to the bullpen. The two-run lead was short lived, however, as the Eagles got the run back on a solo homer in the bottom of the same inning.

Still up by one, Michigan extended its lead to 5-3 in the top of the sixth on an RBI double from Brdar, but the Eagles rallied for five runs in the bottom of the frame to flip the score and force an 8-5 lead.

The Wolverines responded quickly and strung together three hits in the top of the seventh to add a run and cut the deficit to two. Following a scoreless outing in the eighth, however, the Eagles tacked on two runs on three hits and two walks in the bottom of the inning to go up, 10-6.

Bivens and senior Harrison Wenson picked up a base hit apiece in the top of the ninth, but the Wolverines were unable to score.

In total, Michigan put a runner on base in all but one inning and finished the afternoon with 11 hits. Five of the Wolverines' six runs came with two outs.

Through 5.2 innings pitched, Jaskie surrendered seven runs and two walks in the outing. Despite the loss, he struck out six batters and is now tied for first in Michigan's record book with 119 strikeouts on the season.

Relievers Mac Lozer and Alec Rennard also appeared for the Wolverines in the contest and combined to pitch the final 2.1 innings of play. The pair allowed three runs on four hits.