Michigan Baseball’s offense explodes for 31 runs, takes weekend series at Purdue

If you’re a baseball fan and you like tons and tons of offense, this weekend would have been a good one for you to tune into the Michigan baseball team.

The Michigan Wolverines put up a total of 31 runs in their three-game series at Purdue.

Here is a rundown of all the action from this past weekend.

Game 1: Michigan’s bats come alive in 10-run victory

The Wolverines worked Purdue’s pitchers in Game 1, but it was actually Purdue that struck first with a solo shot in the bottom of the first inning. After that, though, it was all Michigan.

The Wolverines plated 10 runs on nine hits in the second and third innings combined. Jeter Ybarra gave Michigan the 2-1 lead with an RBI single, and that was followed up with a Colby Turner RBI hit as well. Matt Spear hit into a fielder’s choice to give Michigan the 4-1 lead.

The fourth inning is where Michigan pulled away for good, plating six runs in the inning off the Boilermakers. Half of those runs came courtesy of a three-run homer by Spear.

Purdue hit another solo shot to make it a 10-2 ballgame, but Michigan quickly got those runs back in the next frame thanks to a Mitch Voit solo shot and a sac fly by Cole Caruso. Purdue got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning due to a passed ball, but Will Rogers instantly got that run back with a solo home run in the top of the sixth to make it a 13-3 game.

That score held the rest of the way, giving Michigan a huge 10-run win to start the series. David Lally Jr. went the distance for the Wolverines on the mound, going seven innings and giving up just two earned runs on three hits and five walks. He also had three strikeouts.

Game 2: Purdue evens the series in high-scoring affair

With Sunday’s game being moved up to Saturday, the Wolverines and Boilermakers squared off in a doubleheader to finish the series. In the first game on Saturday, it was Purdue that struck first, going up 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning via an RBI single off Michigan sophomore righty starting pitcher Dylan Vigue. Purdue tacked on two more runs in the third inning following an RBI line out and an RBI single.

Cole Caruso got the Wolverines going in the fifth inning with his fifth home run of the season. Then, Benjamin Casillas ripped a three-run triple to center field — he nearly hit it out, but it just went off the top of the wall — to put the Wolverines on top, 4-3. Jeter Ybarra hit an RBI single to extend Michigan’s lead to 5-3.

Purdue immediately tied the game in the bottom half of the frame thanks to a throwing error and a sac fly. The Boilermakers then took the lead with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth to make it 6-5.

Tracy Smith brought Robert Hamchuk off the bench in a pinch-hit situation in the top of the eighth, and he delivered. Hanchuk crushed a solo home run with two outs in the inning to tie the score once again. Unfortunately, the Boilermakers took the lead right back in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run of their own to make it 7-6. A bases-loaded walk and a throwing error plated two more runs in the inning, making the final score 9-6.

Game 3: The bats stay hot to help Michigan win the series

The Boilermakers got things started in the first inning, going up 1-0 with a two-out solo home run. Two innings later, the bats came to life. Michigan put up five runs in the third inning — all with two outs — thanks to a two-RBI single by Matt Spear and a three-run home run by Cole Caruso, his second of the series and sixth of the year.

But as Michigan learned in this series, Purdue seemingly had an answer every time. The Boilermakers put up two runs of their own in the third inning due to an RBI single and a fielding error by right fielder Robert Hamchuk.

However, Michigan bounced right back in the fifth inning. An RBI walk to AJ Rausch and an RBI flyout by Benjamin Casillas got those two runs back. But the Wolverines weren’t done yet in the inning — a wild pitch scored Jefferis, and an RBI single by Hamchuk scored Casillas to make it 9-3.

The Boilermakers cut their deficit in half with a three-run home run in the bottom half of the fifth. An RBI single in the sixth made it an even narrower lead for Michigan, 9-7. The Wolverines had an answer in the top of the seventh with a Colby Turner RBI single to get the lead back to three runs. Just for good measure, Michigan added another run in the eighth with a Cade Ladehoff RBI flyout.

But once again, Purdue wasn’t done just yet, as an RBI double and an RBI single drew the Boilermakers within two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Michigan had other plans, tacking on one more run in the top of the ninth to put the final nail in the coffin, 12-9.

Kurt Barr started for the Wolverines and got the win, going five innings and giving up five runs on six hits and three walks while also striking out 10 batters.

The Wolverines will return to Ann Arbor to take on Eastern Michigan on Tuesday at 4 p.m. before hosting Penn State this weekend for three games.