Michigan
7-5
Pepperdine
2-10
Michigan Rolls Past Pepperdine in Series Opener Behind Nine-Run Fourth
3/5/2026 9:33:00 PM | Baseball
» Michigan took down Pepperdine 17-4 in the series opener.
» Dane Morrow went 3-for-3, including his first two career home runs.
» Evan Haeger hit his first career home run and Noah Miller hit his first of the season.
» Nine Wolverines recorded a hit, while 10 scored a run.
MALIBU, Calif. -- Behind a nine-run fourth inning, the University of Michigan baseball team defeated Pepperdine 17-4Â on Thursday afternoon (March 5) at Eddy D. Field Stadium.
Ahead 1-0 after Drew Culbertson scored on a third-inning wild pitch, the Wolverines put the game away in the fourth.
The scoring in the frame started and ended with Jack Laffitte drawing bases-loaded walks. In between, Carson Luna added a two-run single, Cade Ladehoff singled home a run, an error brought home Luna and Evan Haeger blasted a three-run home run to left field to give the visitors a 10-0 lead. U-M (7-5) nearly batted around twice, sending 15 batters to the plate in the fourth and scoring its nine runs on only five hits.
Starter Grant Bradley kept Pepperdine (2-10) scoreless over his three innings, allowing two hits while striking out two. In the fifth, Miller homered to left-center field to add to the Michigan lead, but the Waves got two runs back in the bottom of the frame to trail Michigan 11-2. Michael Quedens relieved Erik Puodziunas, retiring two batters to strand the bases loaded and prevent further damage.
The Michigan offense kept rolling, adding four runs in the sixth. Dane Morrow opened the inning with a single and was brought home by a double from Jefferis, while Culbertson followed with a double of his own. Jefferis scored on a wild pitch, and Culbertson scored on a Cooper Mullens double. Mullens later scored on a Ladehoff fielder's choice to put U-M up 15-2.
U-M's final two runs came off the bat of Morrow in the form of solo home runs in the seventh and ninth, while Quedens, Keegan O'Hearn and Slade Moore kept Pepperdine scoreless until the ninth, when the Waves got two runs, but they were not enough as the Wolverines secured the lopsided victory.
Michigan rapped 16 hits, with nine players recording at least one, led by three from Jefferis and Morrow. Ten Wolverines scored a run, with Morrow and Culbertson scoring three. Haeger and Morrow tallied their first career home runs, while Miller added his first of the season.
Quedens (1-0) picked up the win after 2.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
Michigan will continue its series against Pepperdine on Friday (March 6) at 1:30 p.m. PT at Eddy D. Field Stadium. The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Quedens, Michael (1-0)
L: Fowler, Jack (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Jefferis, Brayden 1 ; Culbertson, Drew 1 ; Mullens, Cooper 1
HR: Haeger, Evan 1 ; Miller, Noah 1 ; Morrow, Dane 2
RBI: Haeger, Evan 3 ; Jefferis, Brayden 1 ; Miller, Noah 1 ; Luna, Carson 2 ; Morrow, Dane 2 ; Laffitte, Jack 2 ; Ladehoff, Cade 1 ; Mullens, Cooper 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haeger, Evan 1 ; Jefferis, Brayden 2 ; Miller, Noah 2 ; Culbertson, Drew 3 ; Luna, Carson 1 ; Morrow, Dane 3 ; Kim, Jonathan 2 ; Laffitte, Jack 1 ; Ladehoff, Cade 1 ; Mullens, Cooper 1
SB: Morrow, Dane 1 ; Kim, Jonathan 1
HBP: Jefferis, Brayden 2 ; Culbertson, Drew 2 ; Mullens, Cooper 1
Batting:
RBI: Laxa, Kai 1 ; Cardinale, Joe 1 ; Dell'Amico, James 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Patterson, Daniel 1 ; Aude, Max 1 ; Dell'Amico, James 1 ; Horton, Nash 1
SB: Laxa, Kai 1
HBP: Laxa, Kai 1
