Katelyn Mulcahy & Alec Cohen / Daily 
Design by Jack Silberman

As the first of two games on Sunday 

wound down, it wasn’t entirely clear which 
team would come out on top. It was tied, 
2-2, in the seventh inning, and neither 
Michigan nor Northwestern had mustered 
any offense.

Then, junior center fielder Christian 

Bullock sprung to action.

For the second time that game, he 

worked his way to third base after stealing 
second and advancing on the ensuing 
throwing error. Wildcat second baseman 
Alex Erro couldn’t handle sophomore Jack 

Blomgren’s ground ball, and Bullock 

scored the eventual winning run.

“It feels great to score 

winning runs for this 

team,” Bullock 

said. “And to 

score the 

winning 
run feels 

amazing.”

The 3-2 win over Big Ten foe Northwestern 

(16-19 overall, 5-6 Big Ten) was the first of the 
day, as the Wolverines (27-11, 7-3) established 
their dominance by taking the second game 
of the double header, 10-1 to complete a three-
game sweep.

In both games, Michigan got off to a hot 

start.

In the first game, the offense 

manufactured two runs in the first two 
innings to go up 2-0. The first came from 
sophomore designated hitter Jordan Nwogu 
after he had extended his hit streak to nine 
games with a leadoff single and was advanced 
to third. An error by Wildcat third baseman 
Charlie Maxwell allowed the run to score. 
Bullock scored in a nearly identical way to 
the seventh, forcing his way to third base and 
then coming home on a single.

“The two bases that (Bullock) stole in 

the first game, the throw got away from the 
fielders and he was able to advance to third 
on an error and scored both times,” said 
Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “So just by being 
aggressive we had huge opportunities, and we 
certainly needed it.”

In the later game, runs didn’t need to be 

manufactured, two home runs in the second 
inning — senior outfielder Blake Nelson’s first 
career home run and Bullock’s first of the 
season, a three-run shot to right field — gave 
the Wolverines a 4-0 lead and they never 
looked back.

It ended up being a career day for 

Bullock, who found himself 
behind strong 
offensive and 
defensive 
starters. 
But with 
junior 

outfielder Jordan Brewer and sophomore 
outfielder Jesse Franklin struggling with 
injuries, Bullock proved he can play, totaling 
three runs and four RBI.

“Coach is always telling me to stay ready,” 

Bullock said, “and is always working on me 
in the morning and at night in the evening 
practice just staying ready for the next 
opportunity.

“ … I know (my speed) is a game changer 

and coach always tells me to use it as much as 
possible so I can score runs.”

Added Bakich: “Everybody likes playing 

with a lead. It allows everybody to breathe 
a little bit and play a little bit looser. Every 
team in college baseball plays better with the 
lead than playing with a deficit. You can be 
aggressive, you can take chances, you don’t 
have to be quite as conservative.”

Northwestern didn’t give up when it got 

down, though, battling back in the first game. 
It tied the game 2-2 with a pair of two-out 
runs in the third inning after sophomore 
shortstop Jack Blomgren missed a double 
play throw to first base.

It had less success in the second game. 

The Wildcats only managed to score one 
run, unable to cut into the early lead as the 
Michigan defense routinely made plays like 
the one Blomgren missed.

Three double plays in three different ways 

quickly snuffed out any hope of offense that 
Northwestern could muster. 

READ MORE AT 

MICHIGANDAILY.COM

The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | April 22, 2019
SPORTSMONDAY

WILLLDCATS.

Kent Schwartz Daily Sports Writer

SENIOR GOODBYE COLUMNS

INSIDE SPORTSMONDAY

See Page 2B

With doubleheader wins, Wolverines complete
weekend sweep of Northwestern

Katelyn Mulcahy & Alec Cohen / Daily 
Design by Jack Silberman

