Michigan Edged by Pepperdine in Second Game of Series

Friday, March 6

Malibu, Calif.

1:30 PM PT

Michigan

7-6

Pepperdine

3-10

Michigan

Pepperdine

Drew Culbertson (Michigan Photography)

Michigan Edged by Pepperdine in Second Game of Series

3/6/2026 8:31:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Conor Stemme

What You Need to Know
» Michigan fell to Pepperdine 9-8 on Friday in the second game of the three-game series.
» Elie Kligman and Matthew Ossenfort hit back-to-back home runs to open the scoring.
» Five Wolverines recorded two hits in the contest.

MALIBU, Calif. -- The University of Michigan baseball team dropped the second game of its series at Pepperdine, 9-8, on Friday afternoon (March 6) at Eddy D. Field Stadium.

Michigan (7-6) erased an early deficit with a six-run third inning. Elie Kligman doubled to open the frame and scored on a single from Matthew Ossenfort. Evan Haeger followed with a single before Drew Culbertson delivered a triple that brought home two runs. Culbertson later scored on a Brayden Jefferis single, and after Colby Turner was hit by a pitch, Jefferis came home on a wild pitch. Turner capped the inning by scoring on a sacrifice fly from Cade Ladehoff as the Wolverines took an 8-5 lead.

The game's scoring began with back-to-back home runs from Kligman and Ossenfort in the second inning. Two walks later in the frame gave Michigan another opportunity, but a fielder's choice ended the threat.

Cade Montgomery kept the Waves quiet early, retiring the first eight batters he faced. With two outs in the third, Pepperdine (3-10) strung together four hits and a walk to score five runs before a lineout ended the inning. Montgomery settled back in and completed 5.1 innings, allowing just two singles the rest of the way while benefiting from a double play started by Culbertson in the fourth.

Pepperdine tied the game with three runs in the seventh inning and won it on a walk-off home run in the ninth.

With the game tied, Michigan had chances to take the lead, including a single and stolen base from Turner with one out in the eighth and a two-out double from Haeger in the ninth, but the Wolverines were unable to push across the go-ahead run.

Five Wolverines recorded multiple hits, with Jefferis, Turner, Kligman, Ossenfort and Haeger each collecting two. Jefferis also drew two walks to reach base four times, while Kligman and Ossenfort each scored twice.

Michigan will look for the series win against Pepperdine on Saturday (March 7) at 1 p.m. PT at Eddy D. Field Stadium. The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+.