Michigan Holds off Michigan State to Sweep Season Series

Tuesday, May 17

Ann Arbor, Mich.

6:00 PM

Michigan

26-24

Michigan State

23-28

Michigan State

Michigan

Willie Weiss (left) and Casey Buckley (Michigan Photography)

Michigan Holds off Michigan State to Sweep Season Series

5/17/2022 10:15:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Kurt Svoboda

» The first inning saw a combined 13 runs with Michigan scoring nine times on eight hits.
» Michigan pitchers worked out of two bases-loaded jams.
» Five Wolverines had multiple hits.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team rode a nine-run first inning and held off Michigan State 11-8 on Tuesday night (May 17) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. With the victory, the Wolverines completed a complete a season sweep of the Spartans.

Michigan, which took three games earlier in the season played in Lansing, has now won 16 of the last 18 games played in the series.

A wild first inning saw MSU jump out to a 4-0 lead only to have U-M scores nine time in the bottom of the frame with seven different Wolverines driving home a run. Jimmy Obertop had two hits in the inning and Joe Stewart had a highlight-reel two-run double on a grounder up the middle.

Michigan State slowly climbed back into the game and trimmed the U-M lead to 9-7 in the fifth when it loaded the bases only to see freshman Avery Goldensoph come out of the bullpen and come up with a key strikeout to end the threat. The Saginaw, Mich., native was credited with the win, improving his record to 2-2 on the season.

The Spartans scratched for another run in the seventh to make it a 9-8 game and loaded the bases only to be turned away again, this time by Willie Weiss, who struck out two MSU batters in crunch time.

Michigan took the momentum into the bottom of the frame where it scored twice on a bases-loaded walk and a sharp single to left from Tito Flores. MSU escaped its own jam thanks to a double-play ball and a pop out to keep the score within reach at 11-8.

Weiss was electric in his relief outing. The former freshman All-American fanned two more batters in the eighth inning and faced just three batters in the ninth, finishing the game with a double-play ball to complete 2.2 innings of hitless relief with four strikeouts for his third save.

Stewart, the graduate transfer from Michigan State, had two hits, two RBI and scored three runs against his former team. He was joined with multiple hits by Matt Frey (2-for-2, 3 HBP), Obertop, Flores and Riley Bertram.

John Torroella made his Michigan debut on the mound as he works his way back from an offseason injury. The Brown University transfer struck out two batters in a scoreless inning of relief.

The Wolverines will welcome Rutgers to Ray Fisher Stadium on Thursday (May 19) at they close out the regular season slate with a three-game set against the Scarlet Knights. First pitch is set for 8 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.