4B — April 10, 2017
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

BASEBALL
Lugbauer’s grand slam
propels ‘M’ to victory

With one swing of the bat, 

junior 
third 
baseman 
Drew 

Lugbauer rejuvenated the No. 18 
Michigan 
baseball 
team 
and 
the 

depleted crowd at Ray Fisher 
stadium.

In the bottom of the fifth, 

with the bases loaded and the 
Wolverines down 8-3, Lugbauer 
sent the ball over the left-field 
wall for his second grand slam of 
the season.

“Once Drew (Lugbauer) got 

that big hit, even though we were 
down a run, I think the mindset 
of the guys was, ‘We know down 
a run is nothing,’ ” said Michigan 
Coach Erik Bakich. “The belief 
system was we’re going to find a 
way to tie it up and find a way on 
top.”

And three at-bats later, the 

team did just that, as redshirt 
sophomore 
left 
fielder 
Miles 

Lewis scored on a fielder’s choice, 
tying the game at eight apiece.

From there, Michigan (5-2 Big 

Ten, 24-6 overall) completed its 
seven-run comeback to notch a 9-8 
victory against Illinois (0-4 Big Ten, 
10-17 overall) on Friday, marking 
the Wolverines’ largest come-from-
behind effort of the season.

In first game of the weekend 

series, Michigan’s ace left-hander 
Oliver 
Jaskie 
simply 
wasn’t 

himself. The junior survived just 
three innings, surrendering seven 
runs (five earned) on five hits 
and three walks. It was Jaskie’s 
shortest outing of the season.

The Fighting Illini got to Jaskie 

right away, as leadoff batter Jack 
Yalowitz began the game with a 
home run. Illinois added another 
run on a passed ball by senior 
catcher Harrison Wenson.

After showing promise by 

retiring the side in order in the 
second inning, the Fighting Illini 
again overwhelmed Jaskie in the 
third, increasing their lead to 7-0. 
The inning was highlighted by a 

bloop single by designated hitter 
Casey Dodge that scored two 
runs.

Despite the large deficit, the 

Wolverine players never thought 
they were out of it.

“We kind of just felt like we 

knew we were going to come 
back,” Lugbauer said. “We believe 
in each other and just play our 
game.”

Bakich wasn’t as optimistic, 

noting he was “very concerned” 
with his team down seven runs.

However, 
in 
the 
fourth, 

Michigan began to mount its 
comeback, putting up three runs.

The rally started with a one-

out single by senior centerfielder 
Johnny Slater, who then stole 
second. In the next at-bat, senior 
shortstop Michael Brdar blasted 
a double to left-center, scoring 
Slater. Both Lewis and sophomore 
right fielder Jonathan Engelmann 
followed with a pair of singles, 
scoring two more runs.

In the seventh, two innings 

after the Wolverines tied the 
game, Michigan established its 
first lead. Lewis – who went 3-for-
3 on the day with two runs batted 
in and two runs scored – hit a 
double to the wall in left-center, 
scoring Lugbauer to make it 9-8.

In the top of the eighth, Illinois 

attempted a comeback of its own. 
But with runners on the corners 
and one out, senior right-hander 
Mac Lozer produced a strikeout 
and fly out to retire the side. 

“(The victory) was great, it 

sets the tone (for the rest of the 
series),” Lewis said. “It’s maybe a 
wake-up call to not come out so 
flat tomorrow.”

The comeback win displayed 

the fighters mentality that has 
been stressed to the team all 
season. Bakich and his players 
credit this to their extensive 
mental toughness training in the 
offseason.

“I think the belief system is 

there that we can comeback,” 
Bakich said. “But it’s one thing to 
think you can do it and it’s another 
thing to actually do it.”

Wolverines notch one-hitter against Illinois

If the No. 18 Michigan 

baseball team learned anything 
from Friday’s comeback win 
over Illinois, it was to come out 
strong from the first pitch.

The Wolverines put that 

lesson into practice in the 
second 
game 
of 

their series 
against the 
Fighting Illini (0-5 Big Ten, 
10-18 overall), as Michigan 
sent seven Wolverines up to bat 
and scored three runs in the 
first inning alone en route to a 
7-0 victory.

Sophomore second baseman 

Ako 
Thomas 
reached 
base 

first from the leadoff spot, 
hitting a slow rolling ball to 
the shortstop and beating the 
throw to first. Though he was 
later thrown out at the plate, 
his hit started the ball rolling 
for the rest of the lineup. 
Redshirt 
sophomore 
left 

fielder Miles Lewis smacked 
a double to the corner of left 
field, scoring senior shortstop 
Michael 
Brdar 
and 
senior 

centerfielder Johnny Slater.

The Wolverines (6-2, 25-6) 

are 
currently 
12-0 
when 

leading after the first inning, a 
big incentive to 
strike early.

“We 
talked 

about the last 
two 
games 

and 
playing 

from a deficit 
and 
digging 

ourselves 
a 

hole,” 
said 

Michigan 
coach 
Erik 

Bakich. 
“If 

that’s the case, that’s the case, 
we’ll do it if we need to, but it’s 
not exactly how you want to 
draw it up.

“We wanted to get a good 

lead and establish a lead and 
try to extend it.”

Michigan kept up its scoring 

in the next inning, when junior 

third baseman Drew Lugbauer 
singled 
to 
centerfield 
and 

picked up two runs batted-in 
to give him 41 on the season — 
increasing his lead atop the Big 
Ten.

On 
the 
mound 
for 
the 

Wolverines was junior right-

hander 
Ryan 

Nutof, 
who 

had one of his 
best outings of 
the season. He 
allowed 
only 

one hit through 
six 
scoreless 

innings. 
Nutof 

had 
been 

struggling 
the 

most out of the 
weekend starters 

— posting a 5.84 earned-run 
average — but he was sharp on 
the bump against Illinois.

“We walked a few early, had 

to pitch out of some pressure 
situations early,” Bakich said. 
“But as the game progressed, 
Ryan Nutof in the fourth, fifth 
and sixth was better than he 

was in the first, second and 
third.

“And then (junior right-

hander) 
Jayce 
Vancena 

followed his lead and so did 
(sophomore right-hander) Jack 
Bredeson of just attacking the 
strike zone and letting the 
defense work behind them.”

Vancena 
and 
Bredeson 

rounded out the pitching effort 
for 
Michigan 
on 
Saturday, 

contributing to the one-hitter 
— a feat the Wolverines hadn’t 
accomplished since 2012.

The Fighting Illini posed 

the biggest threat to Michigan 
in the third inning. Third 
baseman Trent Hammond got 
the team’s first — and only — 
hit of the day with a double 
to left field. With a runner 
in scoring position, Thomas 
denied Illinois’ Jack Yalowitz 
with a diving stop. When 
Nutof later walked a Fighting 
Illini batter to load the bases, 
Thomas came up clutch once 
again with an easy putout to 
first to end the inning.

After putting up five runs 

through the first two innings, 
the Wolverines cooled down 
for the rest of the game. 
Michigan tacked on two more 
runs in the sixth and eighth 
innings to extend its lead, and 
Illinois couldn’t come up with 
a response.

All but two of the Wolverine 

batters managed a hit, with 
Thomas and Slater leading 
the team with four and three, 
respectively. 
Both 
singled 

each time from the one and 
two slots, respectively, in the 
batting order. Their ability 
to reach base is crucial for 
Michigan.

“Anytime you can get the 

top of your order on base, 
those guys are table setters, 
they’re catalysts,” Bakich said. 
“Especially those two because 
they can get in motion and 
advance into scoring position, so 
anytime we get them on base we 
create scoring opportunities.”

The Wolverines have now 

won nine straight games and 
will look to continue their 
streak in the series finale 
Sunday afternoon.

PAIGE VOEFFRAY 

Daily Sports Writer

ILLINOIS
MICHIGAN 

0
7

LIZZY XIONG/Daily

Junior right-hander Ryan Nutof allowed only one hit through six innings against the Fighting Illini on Saturday.

“We wanted to 
get a good lead 

... and try to 
extend it.”

HUNTER SHARF
Daily Sports Writer

ILLINOIS
MICHIGAN 

8
9

Michigan can’t claim second comeback win

On 
Sunday, 
the 
Michigan 

baseball 
team 
learned 
the 

difference a day can make. After 
taking their first two games in 
the series against Illinois, the 
Wolverines fell to the Fighting 
Illini in the third game of the 
series, 7-5.

Sunday’s 
game 
closely 

mirrored Friday’s. In both games, 
Michigan fell into a hole early, 
surrendering six and seven runs, 
respectively, through the first 
three innings. The only difference 
was the Wolverines’ ability to 
forge a rally.

While they made an impressive 

comeback in Friday’s outing to 
steal the game, 9-8, the resurgence 
wasn’t in the cards Sunday. 

In the bottom of the ninth 

inning with one out, sophomore 
second baseman Ako Thomas 
started off the effort by taking 
base after being hit by a pitch. 
With the tying run at the plate, 

senior centerfielder Johnny Slater 
hit a single to left field to put two 
men on base.

In a situation like that, senior 

shortstop Michael Brdar is the 
one player the Wolverines would 
want at the plate. Coming into 
Sunday’s game, he carried a 
17-game hitting streak and had 
his chance to extend it in the 
ninth frame. Unfortunately for 
Michigan, that streak came to an 
end. Brdar popped a ball up to left 
field for the second out.

With one more out to work 

with, junior third baseman Drew 
Lugbauer stepped to the plate. He 
has come to be known as the player 
who can provide for Michigan 
in big moments. Lugbauer is no 
stranger to walk-off home runs, 
as he hit a three-run home run 
against 
Northern 
Illinois 
on 

March 19. He currently has nine 
home runs on the season, with the 
most recent being a grand slam in 
Friday’s game against Illinois to 
help the Wolverines overcome 
their deficit.

The two-ball, two-strike, two-

out pitch was perfect. Lugbauer 
crushed it towards the left-field 
wall. But the high winds forced 
the ball foul — robbing him of 
the walk-off home run — and he 
struck out swinging on the next 
pitch to end the game.

“I don’t want to say there 

is 
(complacency), 
but 
that’s 

obviously a slight part of it,” said 
junior right-hander Alec Rennard. 
“I think that is one factor, you 
don’t want to get complacent, you 
want to stay hungry. No matter 
how much you win by, you always 
want to focus on how much you 
didn’t do right.”

The loss ended a nine-game 

winning streak for the Wolverines, 
who have been prone to pull out 
comeback wins as of late. Michigan 
came back from a three-run deficit 
Tuesday against Notre Dame and 
a seven-run deficit Friday against 
the Fighting Illini.

“We kind of just felt like we 

knew we were going to comeback 
the whole time,” Lugbauer said 

Friday. “Even when we were 
down seven, we were like ‘Alright, 
whatever.’ … We were smiling and 
laughing, no worries, that’s just 
kind of the team we have this 
year.”

While this mindset worked 

Friday, it may have hurt Michigan 
on Sunday.

The Wolverines weren’t able 

to connect their hits like they had 
earlier in the series. Friday and 
Saturday’s game saw a lot of action 
from Michigan, as they totaled 25 
hits through two days. On Sunday, 
though, just five players combined 
nine team hits. 

“It’s just that early deficit 

where we’ve been fortunate to 
be able to comeback and come 
out on top,” said Michigan coach 
Erik Bakich. “It didn’t end up that 
way today. That’s what happens 
when you play with fire that many 
times, eventually you get burned.

“It’s too bad we had to learn 

this lesson this way. But if I know 
this group at all, which I do, 
they’ll bounce right back.”

PAIGE VOEFFRAY

Daily Sports Writer

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Senior shortstop Michael Brdar carried a 17-game hit streak into Michigan’s Sunday matchup with Illinois, but saw it broken after striking out in the ninth inning.

BY THE NUMBERS
The Michigan baseball team’s weekend series against Illinois

1

Hit allowed by Ryan Nutof 

during his outing on the mound 

Saturday.

34

Total hits amassed through 

three games.

21

Total runs scored through three 

games.

11

Hits surrendered in the 

Wolverines’ sole loss on the 

weekend.

