Michigan Rallies in Ninth, Falls to Maryland in Extra Innings

Friday, May 21

Ann Arbor, Mich.

5:00 PM

Michigan

25-14, 25-14

Maryland

25-14, 25-14

Maryland

Michigan

Joey Velazquez (Michigan Photography)

Michigan Rallies in Ninth, Falls to Maryland in Extra Innings

5/21/2021 10:43:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Kurt Svoboda

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

» Michigan scored five runs with two outs in the ninth inning to extend the game.

» Joey Valazquez tied the game in the ninth with a two-run single. as part of a three-RBI game.

» Michigan pitchers struck out 16 Maryland batters.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Big Ten Conference championship race continues to be muddled after Maryland claimed a wild victory against the No. 24-ranked University of Michigan 11-8 in 11 innings Friday evening (May 21) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

With the win Maryland (25-14, 25-14 Big Ten) moves into a tie with Michigan, just behind league-leading Nebraska, which is in action against third-place Indiana on Friday and Saturday.

Michigan (25-14, 25-14 Big Ten) scored five runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the game into extras, where it then turned a sensational play to keep Maryland off the board only to let it slip away with several unlucky breaks in the 11th.

Michigan also had gifted four early runs as the visitors built an 8-0 lead and held on for dear life to win in a raucous environment.

Maryland grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third inning, with both runs coming unearned after a throwing error followed by a suicide squeeze and RBI single with two outs. Maryland made it 6-0 in the fifth inning thanks to two more unearned runs off a pair of errors combined with a solo homer by Justin Vought, who struck again with the long ball in the sixth, this time delivering a two-run shot to give the Terrapins an 8-0 lead.

Little went right for Michigan. The bottom of the sixth summed up the day as Ted Burton ripped what would have been an RBI single up the middle only to see the inning end when the ball struck a runner.

The Wolverines battled, scoring three times in the seventh inning on a pinch-hit RBI single from Joey Velazquez, a bases-loaded walk to Clark Elliott and a sacrifice fly from Jimmy Obertop.

That set the stage for an unlikely ninth inning when, with two outs, consecutive singles from Burton, Griffin Mazur and Tito Flores made it an 8-6 game as Maryland was forced to go to closer Sam Bello.

Pinch runner Jake Marti stole second and Bello walked Jordon Rogers to load the bases for Velazquez, the two-sport athlete who also plays linebacker on the Michigan football team. Velazquez delivered an at-bat well beyond his years, fighting back from an 0-2 count and fouling off five straight pitches before smacking a game-tying, two-run double to center field. Another wild pitch moved runners into scoring position, but Bello got a full-count strikeout to end the inning.

In the 10th, Maryland loaded the bases with one out against reliever Will Proctor (0-1), who induced a fly ball that should have been good enough for a sacrifice fly and a lead, but Matt Shaw tried to tag up from first base and was tagged out at second before the go-ahead run crossed home plate, getting Michigan out of the jam.

Michigan could not find the offense against Maryland lefty Ryan Ramsey (4-1), and Maryland escaped a jam in the 11th when its lead runner was picked off at second base but advanced to third when Michigan could not make the play. Maryland went on the score three times in the inning on a double, suicide squeeze and a passed ball.

Mazur led Michigan with four hits while Christian Molfetta, Burton, Rogers and Velazquez all had two hits for a Michigan team that outhit the Terps 15-11.

Michigan and Maryland will be back in action Saturday (May 22) at Ray Fisher Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.