OMAHA, Neb — Michigan
would not win the national
championship. Instead, its run
will be earmarked as another
remarkable underdog run ruined
by a perennial power.
In game three on Wednesday,
the Wolverines (50-22 overall)
lost to No. 2 Vanderbilt (59-12)
8-2. But the game seemed over by
the fourth inning.
On short rest, Bakich went
to
junior
right-hander
Karl
Kauffmann to bring home the
championship. Early on, he was
himself. Besides missing a pitch
up high on Commodores’ Pat
DeMarco, who hit it out of the
park for a home run, he struck
out five and was one out away
from finishing his third inning.
But a walk, a single, another
walk and a pitch that had the
Michigan defense leaving the
field but the umpire called it
a ball led to a runner being
walked in. His first pitch against
Vanderbilt’s Stephen Scott was a
two-run single, and just like that,
the Wolverines were down 4-1.
“Tonight most of the damage
was done with two outs, and
we were just getting that big
hit, and we were stringing good
offense together as a team,” said
Vanderbilt
centerfielder
Pat
DeMarco. “It was team offense
tonight.”
And then, similar to the first
inning, the Wolverines went
back to the dugout after leaving
runners on base. They had the
perfect opportunity to answer,
to pull themselves back into
the game, but when they made
hard contact with the ball, it
went straight to a Commodore
defender.
Vanderbilt didn’t let off the
gas and chased Kauffmann out
of the game in the
third inning after
a leadoff walk, his
fifth of the game.
His final line was
three
innings-
pitched, five runs,
five walks, and
five strikeouts.
But
nor
was
it
sophomore
right hander Jeff
Criswell’s
night
who, despite striking out the
first batter he faced, eventually
let in two runs in the fourth
inning, putting Michigan down
6-1 heading into the fifth.
In the first inning, though, the
game had a completely different
picture: Ako Thomas, leading
off in place of Jordan Nwogu,
started the game with a single.
Sophomore center fielder Jesse
Franklin then singled to put
runners on the corners before
junior
right
fielder
Jordan
Brewer brought in Thomas, and
it seemed like the floodgates
were open with the score at 1-0
and no outs.
“We came out on the attack,”
Thomas said. “I think it was
three hits in a row, scored a run
first. We just didn’t execute the
way we were supposed to. We
were kind of on our heels the rest
of the game, didn’t maximize our
opportunities. But we fought our
hardest out there.”
Added
Commodores’
shortstop
Ethan
Paul: “It was the
first inning and it
wasn’t like there
was
anything
to really worry
about. We all trust
Mason. He’s going
to give us a good
outing.
I
think
I just wanted to
remind him that it’s a big park.
I wanted him to work down in
the zone and let our defense
work. We trust each other in the
infield, so we wanted to make
some plays for him.”
But Vanderbilt ace Mason
Hickman shifted into another
gear, striking out the next three
batters in the lineup and setting
a tone that left the Wolverine
offense
unable
to
cash
in.
Hickman ended the game with 10
strikeouts through six innings,
walking three and allowing just
one earned run.
The game fell into a rhythm
after the fourth as both pitchers
gained control over the game.
There would be no spark and
no more rallies. Senior first
baseman Jimmy Kerr’s hard hit
fly ball would be caught one foot
short of a home run and every
line drive found a defender.
Vanderbilt
suffocated
Michigan and at the end of
the day, the Wolverines found
themselves going home empty-
handed.
12
Thursday, June 27, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan’s tournament runs ends with 8-2 loss in CWS final
KENT SCHWARTZ
Daily Sports Writer
ZACHARY GOLDSMITH/Daily
Sophomore catcher Joe Donovan (right) collected two hits in the CWS finals
We just didn’t
execute the
way we were
supposed to.
SPORTS