Michigan took its hot streak on the road this weekend, heading to College Park to take on Maryland in a three-game series. The Wolverines had won five straight series and were well rested entering the weekend without a midweek game on the schedule.
Here’s how they were able to fare across the three games.
Game 1 – Friday
Kurt Barr got his customary Friday night start to open the series and was dominant through the early innings. He allowed some traffic with two baserunners in the second inning, but pitched out of
the jam and kept the Terps off the board before settling in through the middle innings.
Michigan’s offense didn’t have much going for itself through the early innings but finally got on the board in the top of the sixth. Drew Culbertson hit a double and eventually got to third on an error by third baseman Brayden Martin. Culbertson scored on a Brayden Jefferis groundout to make it 1-0. Maryland was able to respond in the bottom of the sixth, though, with Martin scoring on a groundout from David Mendez to tie the game. Barr would exit the game here after 5.2 innings, four hits, four walks and eight strikeouts.
The game was tied through nine innings with Gavin DeVooght shining in relief. In the top of the 10th, Michigan’s most clutch hitter as of late, Joonsung Park, blasted a solo homer to left field to give the Wolverines a 2-1 lead. DeVooght was able to hold on for one more scoreless frame in the bottom of the 10th, and Michigan secured a win in the series opener.
Game 2 – Saturday
Michigan’s offense wasn’t the reason it won Friday’s opener, but it was the reason why the Wolverines won on Saturday. Right out of the gate, Michigan scored in the top of the first with an RBI single from Brayden Jefferis. Then, the offense erupted for nine runs in the top of the second — including RBIs from Drew Culbertson, Colby Turner, Joonsung Park, and a three-run homer from Jefferis.
Up 10-0, the Wolverines could throw it into cruise control the rest of the way. In the top of the fourth, Turner would launch a home run to give the Wolverines three more runs. Maryland got to Michigan starter Shane Brinham in the bottom of the fourth with four runs of their own to make the score 13-4.
Maryland’s offense added one more in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases courtesy of two singles and a walk and then scoring on a fielder’s choice to make it 13-5.
Michigan’s offense had a few more swings in the top of the seventh, as Culbertson slapped a single to left field to drive in Matthew Ossenfort from second base. Later in the inning, Turner hit his second three-run homer of the game to put the Wolverines ahead 17-5. That would prove to be the final score, as Michigan won by the run rule in the eighth inning to clinch its sixth straight series victory.
Game 3 – Sunday
The Wolverines sent David Lally to the hill for the start in the series finale. He was nearly spotless through the first two innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four before Michigan’s offense gave him some run support in the third. After Cooper Mullens reached with a single to lead off the inning, Colby Turner hit his third homer of the series to put Michigan up 2-0. Brayden Jefferis later tripled to drive in Evan Haegar, and was then driven in himself on a fielder’s choice for Matthew Ossenfort.
Maryland got two runners via back-to-back walks to lead off the fourth, after which Nate Hawton-Henley was able to drive in a run with a single through the right side to make it a 4-1 game. Michigan got a run back in the fifth courtesy of an attempted double steal with Jefferis being tagged out at second while Haeger bolted for home. Maryland would continue to battle, though, as Brayden Martin reached on a walk to lead off the bottom of the fifth before being driven in on a two-run homer from Jordan Crosland to make it a 5-3 game.
The Terps would continue to steal the momentum in the sixth. Michael Quedens came into the game in relief, but was quickly greeted by Ty Kaunas and Hawton-Henley, who hit back-to-back singles. The runners advanced on a sac bunt and then a balk, scoring a run in the process. Brayden Martin would then drive in the game-tying run with a single. In the seventh, Maryland took the lead with a two-run shot from David Mendez, making it 7-5.
Michigan had one last chance in the top of the ninth, as two runners reached via a hit by pitch and a walk. With two outs, Jefferis came through with an RBI single up the middle. Joonsung Park then played hero yet again, driving a double to right field to score two runs and give the Wolverines an 8-7 lead.
Despite allowing two walks in the bottom of the ninth, Cade Montgomery closed it out for Michigan to secure the sweep with the 8-7 victory.
With the sweep, Michigan continued this stretch of great baseball through the middle of the season, moving to 30-17 overall as it continues to pad its NCAA Tournament resume. It’s also moved up into a tie for fifth in the Big Ten standings with a 15-9 record against conference foes. The Wolverines will head on the road again on Tuesday, traveling down to Cincinnati to take on Xavier before going up to Minnesota for three games against the Golden Gophers over the weekend.
