In a week where Wolverine students were tasked with final exams, the Michigan baseball team faced a formidable test of its own.
The Wolverines’ (11-8 Big Ten, 27-18 Overall) weren’t able to beat the curve against No. 16 Iowa (14-2, 32-11), as the Hawkeyes topped Michigan, 13-7. Friday’s contest was the Wolverines’ first Big Ten home loss since a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Maryland on March 28.
“We did enough offensively,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “We didn’t pitch well or play well defensively at all.”
Unlike the games last weekend against Minnesota, Michigan allowed the Hawkeyes to strike first Friday.
In the top of the second inning, with runners on first and second with no one out, Iowa shortstop Nick Roscetti hit a single to left field to drive in a run. A Michigan error allowed another Hawkeye run to score and a throw to home plate permitted Roscetti to advance to third base. A groundout two at-bats later gave the Hawkeyes a 3-0 advantage.
“When you make mistakes, good teams make you pay,” Bakich said. “You can get away with a mistake or two against a not-as-strong opponent, but Iowa is a strong team.”
The Wolverines put up their own offensive in the bottom of the third. With the score 5-1, two runners in scoring position and no one out, sophomore first baseman Carmen Benedetti smacked a two-RBI double to left-center field to cut the deficit in half.
“We had a lot of momentum in the early innings,” Benedetti said. “The game was much closer than the scoreboard shows. But that’s what happens when you play not-so-clean defense. We’ll bounce back though.”
After Benedetti advanced to third on a wild pitch, freshman shortstop Jake Bivens executed a squeeze bunt to bring Benedetti home and trim Michigan’s gap to 5-4.
But the progress was quickly erased as Iowa restarted its offensive siege just as the Wolverines finished theirs. The Hawkeyes had runners on the corners with one out when a failed pickoff attempt allowed an unearned run to score and the other runner to advance to second. Michigan finished the day with three errors.
“Defensively, this was maybe our poorest showing on a weekend this year,” Bakich said. “I didn’t like that we were not able to secure the ball at times.”
An RBI single by Iowa designated-hitter Tyler Peyton on the next at-bat extended the lead to three and a similar single by left-fielder Dan Potempa made the score 8-4. A sacrifice fly on the next at-bat widened the gap to five runs.
“Whenever you give the other team some extra (bases), it helps them out,” Benedetti said.
The Wolverines chipped away somewhat at the deficit in the next two innings.
Benedetti came up in the bottom of the fourth with two outs and junior third baseman Travis Maezes on first and junior right-hander Jacob Cronenworth on third. Benedetti then took advantage of the opportunity by hitting an RBI single down the first base line while a throwing error allowed Maezes to advance to third.
“We had a lot of guys grinding at-bats and committing to getting to the next guy each time,” Benedetti said.
But a groudout by Bruder extinguished Michigan’s hopes in the fourth.
The fifth frame gave the Wolverines another chance as they loaded the bases with one out. Yet all Michigan could muster was Cronenworth grounding into a fielder’s choice to drive in one run and make the score 9-6.
Iowa firmly put away the game in the eighth when left-fielder Dan Potempta smacked a two-RBI double to left field. Catcher Jimmy Frankos successfully completed a sacrifice bunt two at-bats later to extend the Hawkeyes’ advantage to six. Iowa added another in the ninth for good measure.
“We needed to do a better job of keeping up the pressure on the other team,” Bakich said.