The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Teignayhg oS February 17th, 2014- 3B Youth on display in baseball's weekend in Texas Wolverines take early leads but falter to 1-2-1 mark in opening games By JASON RUBINSTEIN Daily Sports Writer Michigan baseball coach Erik Bakich saidearlierthis weekthat his team's abundance of youth would have ups and downs this season. And this was certainly on display this weekend at the Texas State Tournament in San Marcos, Texas. Michigan jumped out to early leads in each of its four games this weekend but only held onto one, finishing 1-2-1. The competition included Texas State, Air Force and two games against Washington. Relief pitching, when healthy, is one of the strongest areas for Michigan, but with sophomore Jacob Cronenworth recovering from labrum surgery, it became one of the weakest. Bakich expects the sophomore to be back in the next two weeks. Without their premier closer, the Wolverines (1-2-1) threw freshman left-hander Brett Adcock to finish off Texas State (1-1) in the opening game. The Wolverines went up 7-3 early andtheir batswere hot. But Michigan's bats started to cool while the Bobcats' bats started to find rhythm. After giving up a walk and two hits to load the bases, Michigan replaced fifth- year senior right-hander Logan McAnallen for Adcock midway through the eighth inning. With the bases juiced and needing only one out, Adcock gave up a two-RBI single before giving up another RBI single, tying the game. Adcock remained in the game and got through the ninth inning, but couldn't finish in the loth hits balls as hard you can hit balls all weekend long. He's one of the guys coaches talk about - players that force them to keep writing their name in the lineup. He did that this weekend, that's for sure." Lamb aside, the Wolverines got steady production from infielder Ramsey Romano. The freshman reached base in all four games, while also stealing a base and driving in two runs. Cronenworth continued where he left off last season, batting .312 on the weekend with four RBI, two doubles and a triple. The Wolverines certainly had its ups-and-downs this weekend, and is only beginning to find their identity. "There were definitely some bright spots, but the biggest bright spot was getting the whole team out there competing against another jersey," Bakich said. "Even though the outcome wasn't what we wanted, we know we're going to get better, there's no question about that. The first time being outside since October was the biggest PAUL SHERMAN/Daily Fifth-year senior Ben Ballantlne threw seven shutout inists on Saturday afternoon as Michitan picked op its first win of the season atainst Air Force. inning. The freshman walked the first hitter before giving up the game-winning single to cap an 8-7 loss. "(Adcock) is throwing strikes but just giving up some hits right now," Bakich said. "Unfortunately the balls he gave up happened to find holes. He's not going to get hit like that moving forward." Adcock's struggles didn't end there. The freshman couldn't find any rhythm Sunday against Washington (2-1-1), giving up four hits and one earned run in his only inning pitched. The Wolverines couldn't rebound from the pitching woes, tying the Huskies 7-7 in eight innings. The game had to end early due to travel conflicts. "He's actually going to be a really good pitcher for the program for this year and the Jake Balicki replaced Lehmann. years to come," Bakich said. The right-hander struck out the But the bullpen's woes side in the ninth inning before weren't limited to Adcock. Schmidt hit his second two-run Up 6-3 after six against blast in the 10th inning to defeat Washington, it looked liked the Michigan, 8-6. Wolverines Lost in the were in the late game driver's seat. "StW e know we're collapses, But history though, was repeated going to cet the youth's itself when get6O offensive freshman better - there's prowess. right- Though he hander Keith no question." sat the first Lehmann game of the replaced weekend, junior left- freshman hander Trent Szkutnik. The outfielder Jackson Lamb had freshman gave up two runs in himself quite the weekend. The the eighth, including a two- reigning Michigan Gatorade run home run by infielder Alex Player of the Year was brought Schmidt. in to pinch-hit, and hit a Soon after, redshirt freshman two-run double in his first collegiate at-bat. Lamb kept the momentum going when he doubled to left field in the seventh inning and singled in the 10th. The freshman remained hot the rest of the weekend, hitting a two-run double against Air Force, giving fifth-year senior Ben Ballantine all the run support he needed. The right- hander showed no signs of injury, throwing seven shutout innings, while only giving up one hit. Lamb continued his hitting brilliance Sunday, hitting a two- run homer in the first inning. "It's like the old Bull Durham quote, 'announce your presence with authority,'- that was Jackson Lamb " Bakich said. "What a great statement. He makes as loud as contact and 2000 The year when the Wolverines last finished a game in atie. 5.57 Bullpen ERA, as Michigan squandered late leads. BASKETBALL From Page 18 rim, put Michigan in position to get a comeback win, but the Wolverines' other failings were too significant to be hidden. LeVert's offense couldn't compensate for a lack of rhythm elsewhere on the court. Sopho- more forward Glenn Robinson III scored 10 points, and sopho- more guard Nik Stauskas picked up 11, but no one else had more than six. "When I was on the bench at one point in the first half, it just seemed like we were going side to side," Stauskas said. "We weren't going north to south to the basket." What originally could be written off as hot Wisconsin shooting in the first half became more of a systemic problem in Michigan's play. The Wolverines (10-3 Big Ten, 18-7 overall) failed to rebound, giving the Badgers second- chance opportunities - and easy ones at that. Wisconsin (8-5, 21-5) had 16 from in close by halftime, and it didn't have to fight too hard to get them. That hindered Michigan's ability to get run-outs after missed baskets, and the lack of transition opportunities led to the feeble first-half output. If it felt like you could recall each of the Wolverines' first-half baskets one-by-one, it's because you probably could. They made just seven baskets in the frame, and the lackluster half was the worst that Michigan has played all season. Their 19 points in a half weren't just a season low; they were a season low for any of Michigan's opponents - exhibition games too - which included Concordia, UMass- Lowell and Houston Baptist. "It was one of those games where you bury yourself and you're going to have to play a super second half," Beilein said. "While we played better, it wasn't good enough." With six minutes remaining, Michigan finished reeling off a 16-7 run to cut the Wisconsin lead to 52-49. Momentum was favoring the home team, but a series of Badgers 3-pointers put the finishing touches on Michigan's third loss in as many weekends. There was a corner three by known Michigan tormentor Josh Gasser, and then another three on a step-back by Kaminsky at the top of the key with two minutes left to put the game out of reach. It was a game where the Bad- gers turned the ball over just twice. Michigan finished with no steals and no blocks. It was a sign that it wasn't all there for the Wolverines. There was something essential missing. "People go through that their whole lives," Horford said. "It doesn't matter in sports or work- ing in a job. There's days where you just don't have it, and you don't want it. Just don't want to do anything, it's just like,'I'm not feeling it."' Louisiana split highlights weekend Michigan takes one of two in rematch of Super Regional By JAKE LOURIM Daily Sports Writer and only when Romero got good pitches to hit - a single in the sixth and an RBI double in the seventh - did the Wolverines start to claw back. Michigan's last-ditch effort netted four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but senior first Lafayette pitched to Romero - and it cost the Ragin' Cajuns dearly. "I just needed to breathe," Romero said. "I got really excited because I haven't been seeing many pitches the past couple of weekends. I've just Freshman right-handed pitcher Megan Betsa added a complete-game shutout against Central Arkansas, making her record 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA. Sophomore outfielder Sierra Lawrence paced the Michigan offense with two first-inning Six teams went to Lafayette, baseman Caitlin Blanchard, been trying to make the most of grand slams, in the first game La. this weekend for the Ragin' representing the tying run, flew the opportunities that are given against Memphis and the third Cajun Invitational. But make no out to left field to end the threat. to me. If I get a good pitch, I can game against Central Arkansas. mistake: the two that mattered "One person hits, and we get make the most of it. But at the The Wolverines came most were those that battled in that momentum going," Romero same time, if it's not a pitch that out sluggish Sunday against a hard-fought Super Regional said. "One thing about us is we I want, I need to be patient and Boston College, falling behind last spring. never back down. We'll keep wait for a pitch that I want." 4-0 after five innings. On the Michigan and Louisiana- pushing, keep pushing - that's In the second inning, she brink of losing in a huge upset, Lafayette were back at it, one of the best qualities of our belted her third home run of the Michigan's quick-strike offense splitting two games. The team. You can never count us season to make it 6-0. came alive in the last two Ragin' Cajuns held on to an out because we can come back." Junior left-handed pitcher innings. Romero hit a go-ahead 8-6 victory Friday night, and That momentum carried over Haylie Wagner pitched all five three-run double in the seventh, the Wolverines came back to Saturday, when Michigan got innings in the circle Saturday, and Driesenga stranded the with a 15-1 mercy-rule blowout its rematch. keeping the deficit safe. She is tying run at third. Saturday afternoon. This time, the Ragin' Cajuns now 4-0 with a1.02 ERA. "The key for all of that Michigan also hammered sent No. 2 pitcher Alex Stewart "Going into it, when you have was having runners on base," Memphis, 5-0, Central to the circle, and the Wolverines that lead, you can't slack off," Hutchins said. "You can't score Arkansas, 7-0, and came back to jumped on her. Helped by five Wagner said. "That's what I unless you have people on base. beat Boston College, 6-5. fielding errors, they scored two did every single inning. I didn't We finally had some key hits, Junior right-handed pitcher in the first inning, five in the want to slack off because they're and we had a lot of people that Sara Driesenga said last second and seven in the third. a great-hitting team and they inning who made some things week that there was no bad This time, Louisiana- could come up at any moment." happen." blood between Michigan and Louisiana-Lafayette, but the Ragin' Cajuns came out firing as if there was. They homered twice in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead, then chased Driesenga in the fifth. Driesenga finished the game with 4.2 innings pitched, seven hits, six earned runs and four walks, raising her season earned-run average to 4.79. "She needs to relax," said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins. "Sara is a great pitcher, and right now she's not feeling her confidence. Give me a player with confidence and give me a player with no confidence and you'll see two totally different things. She just needs to find her confidence, believe in herself and believe in her teammates." The Ragin' Cajuns' energy at the plate translated to the field, where they held Michigan scoreless for four innings. The Wolverines had their opportunities . but couldn't ultimately cash in, leaving 12 on base. Louisiana-Lafayette walked sophomore shortstop Sierra PATRicK BARRON/Daily Romero her first three times up, Sophomore outfielder Sierra Lawrence hit two first-inning grand slams over the weekend as Michigan posted a 4-1 record. BADGERS From Page 1B it came within a second of forcing a 10-second violation. instead, the scramble on the floor was called a jumpball with the possession in Wisconsin's favor. As the shot clock approached zero for the Badgers, Kaminsky didn't try to drive to the basket once again. Instead, he stepped back and crushed any hopes the Wolverines had of a comeback in the final two minutes with a 3-pointer, his only basket from long range for the game. As much as the shot represented a dagger for the Badgers, it represented an end to the talk for Ryan about a similar shot Stauskas had against Wisconsin on Jan. 18. "I mean what else was he going to do when he did the step-back," Ryan said. "He probably got tired of me showing Stauskas' step-back that he hit against us. I guess our guys were tired of seeing it because Frank did one of his own. Did you notice that?" Stauskas definitely noticed it, calling ita "fair comparison." "Yeah, that was a dagger definitely," he said. "After he hit that, it definitely took the energy out of us and that was big shot for them."