Michigan
17-20, 8-4
Minnesota
14-16, 3-6
Wolverines Win Series Against Minnesota Behind Caruso's Slam, Voit's Arm
4/14/2024 5:43:00 PM | Baseball
» Michigan won the series after taking the finale 10-3 against Minnesota.
» Cole Caruso hit a grand slam in a 2-for-4 performance at the plate.
» Mitch Voit earned the win allowing two earned runs over 6.1 innings.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A Cole Caruso grand slam in the first inning propelled the University of Michigan baseball team to a series-clinching 10-3 over Minnesota on Sunday (April 14) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.
Michigan (17-20, 8-4 Big Ten) won its fourth conference series of the year behind Caurso and Mitch Voit. Caruso's slam came in a 2-for-4 outing at the plate that included a second run scored, while Voit (5-3) took the ball and and allowed two runs and eight hits in 6.1 innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Jacob Denner pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed just one run.
Minnesota (13-16, 2-6 Big Ten) tallied 10 hits on the day but scored only three runs, all on solo home runs. Seven of the runs the Gophers allowed were unearned thanks to three errors.
Michigan got on the scoreboard early, scoring four times in the first on only one hit -- Caruso's grand slam. AJ Garcia worked a leadoff walk, moved to second on a groundout and moved to third on a wild pitch. Colin Priest and Dylan Stanton drew back-to-back walks and Caruso launched a 2-2 pitch well over the brick wall in left field to put U-M up 4-0.
After a scoreless second inning from Voit, U-M added three more runs. Stephen Hrustich scored Will Rogers on a sacrifice fly and Priest brought Garcia and Kyle Dernedde home with an RBI single to push the Wolverines lead to 7-0.
Voit continued rolling, holding the Gophers scoreless and allowing just three hits until the sixth, when Minnesota got on the scoreboard with back-to-back solo homers to open the frame.
In the seventh, Rogers singled with one out and after a walk and stolen base scored on a Garcia sacrifice fly. U-M loaded the bases, but the one run was all they could muster, taking a 8-2 advantage.
Denner took over Voit with one out in the seventh inning and allowed just two hits and one run in his 2.2 innings on the mound. The Wolverines added two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth with a Mack Timbrook double that scored Caruso and a Rogers single that scored Timbrook. The Gophers got one run in the ninth on a solo home run, Denner held and the Wolverines went on to a 10-3 win.
Up next for the Wolverines is a Tuesday (April 16) contest against Toledo at 6 p.m. at Fifth Third Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Voit, Mitch (5-3)
L: Nick Argento (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Charlie Sutherland 1
HR: Brady Counsell 1 ; Ike Mezzenga 1 ; Josh Fitzgerald 1
RBI: Brady Counsell 1 ; Ike Mezzenga 1 ; Josh Fitzgerald 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brady Counsell 1 ; Ike Mezzenga 1 ; Josh Fitzgerald 1
HBP: Charlie Sutherland 1
Batting:
2B: Caruso, Cole 1 ; Timbrook, Mack 1
HR: Caruso, Cole 1
RBI: Garcia, AJ 1 ; Hrustich, Stephen 1 ; Priest, Collin 2 ; Caruso, Cole 4 ; Timbrook, Mack 1 ; Rogers, Will 1
SH: Garcia, AJ 1
SF: Garcia, AJ 1 ; Hrustich, Stephen 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Garcia, AJ 2 ; Priest, Collin 1 ; Stanton, Dylan 1 ; Caruso, Cole 2 ; Timbrook, Mack 1 ; Rogers, Will 2 ; Dernedde, Kyle 1
SB: Garcia, AJ 1 ; Caruso, Cole 1 ; Rogers, Will 1
HBP: Voit, Mitch 1 ; Timbrook, Mack 1 ; Rogers, Will 1 ; Dernedde, Kyle 1
