Michigan's Comeback Stuns Northwestern, 15-14

5/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

May 16, 2010

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Northwestern was unable to hold on to a huge early lead as Michigan rallied to stun the Wildcats 15-14 in 10 innings in the series finale between the teams Sunday afternoon at Ray Fisher Stadium.

NU jumped out to a 14-run lead after two and a half innings, but the Wolverines gradually chipped away at the deficit, including tying the game on a two-run homer with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth.

The first pitch of the day proved to be a harbinger of things to come for Michigan starter Brandon Sinnery as he plunked Trevor Stevens. Sinnery was able escape the top of the first inning unscathed, but he wasn't as fortunate in the second.

Following back-to-back singles by Chris Lashmet and Zach Morton, consecutive walks to Arby Fields and Ann Arbor native Alex Seyferth brought home the game's first run. A third straight free pass to Chris Kontos made it 2-0 before a Geoff Rowan single plated a third score and marked the end of Sinnery's day.

Eric Katzman entered the game in relief and got a flyout before Chad Noble drew the Wildcats' third bases-loaded walk of the frame to make it a four-run game. Katzman got a pop-up for the second out of the inning before Lashmet continued his monster weekend. The junior third baseman drilled an off-speed offering on the first pitch he saw over the fence in left-center for a grand slam, his third home run of the weekend.

Northwestern refused to let up in the third, sending 11 men to the plate for the second consecutive inning as it scored six runs to stretch its lead to 14-0. Three straight singles by Fields, Seyferth and Kontos loaded the bases with no one out before Rowan hit a sacrifice fly. A single by Stevens made it 10-0 before another hit by Noble re-loaded the bases. Snieder brought in two with a single to left, while Morton added an RBI single and Fields brought in yet another on a fielder's choice.

However, Michigan got all six runs back in its half of the third. Ryan LaMarre hit a three-run homer, Nick Urban had an RBI double and Derek Dennis had a run-scoring single. Despite being staked to the big lead, Joe Muraski was unable to make it through three innings of work, as the Wildcats brought on David Jensen. A two-out throwing error brought in the Wolverines' sixth run of the inning.

After Northwestern stranded two men in scoring position in the top of the fifth, Michigan continued to inch ever closer in the bottom half of the frame. Following a single and a walk, an RBI double John Lorenz marked the end of Jensen's day. With Michael Jahns on the hill, a run-scoring groundout by Dennis and an RBI single by Patrick Biondi made it a 14-9 game.

Morton entered the game on the mound in the sixth and Michigan got one run on an RBI single by Lorenz before Chris Berset hit a two-run homer in the seventh to get the hosts within 14-12.

After tossing a scoreless eighth, Morton came back out for his fourth inning of work in the ninth. Patrick Biondi singled to start the inning, but Morton retired the next two batters, including getting LaMarre to fly out to the wall in left-center. Berset faced an 0-2 count, but got a pitch up in the zone that he rode out for a two-run homer, and shockingly the game was tied 14 apiece.

Northwestern went hitless from the sixth through the ninth innings, but collected a pair of singles in the top of the 10th. However, the Wildcats were unable to cash in. Mike Dufek then led off the bottom of the frame with a home run to straight away center to give Michigan the victory.

Morton led NU at the plate, going 4-for-6. Matt Miller was stellar in relief for Michigan. He hurled 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing only two hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Northwestern returns to action at 3 p.m. Thursday as it opens its final regular season series against Michigan State at Rocky Miller Park.

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