TOLEDO, Ohio —  As junior third baseman Cole Caruso smacked a sharp ground ball to Toledo’s pitcher, he made his way to first safely. But graduate right fielder Stephen Hrustich couldn’t follow it up. Caught in a pickle between home plate and third base, Hurtish was eventually tagged out. He was forced to walk back to the dugout in what became the first of many missed scoring chances for Michigan.

Although the Wolverines (18-20 overall) struggled to capitalize at times, their production was enough to escape with a 6-4 win over Toledo (19-18).

The Wolverines put up a quick run in the second inning off a sacrifice fly that sent Caruso home. While Michigan capitalized off that sacrifice fly, the inning closed leaving two runners stranded. Michigan had the lead and continued to add to it, but the amount of opportunities it left on the bases increased too. 

“I know we left a lot on early, but we got the big hits when we needed it,” Wolverine coach Tracy Smith said.

Even though they deserted some runners, Michigan’s steady contact at the plate made up for it. 

Once again, the Wolverines set themselves up for success with consistent hits in the third inning. A single to right field from junior catcher Will Rogers sent two runners home with Caruso sliding across home plate to secure a 3-0 lead. Even after taking the three-run lead, another prime opportunity stood ahead with the bases loaded. But a swinging strikeout from freshman center fielder AJ Garcia lost the chance to build a bigger buffer. 

While the Rockets were quiet early on, they began to take off with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings, closing in at 4-2. Michigan’s missed opportunities to score suddenly held more weight as its lead dwindled in the second frame.

In the seventh inning, fifth-year left-hander Jacob Denner took the mound. His dependability on the mound has saved the Wolverines in crucial moments all season, but in this game it almost cost them. As Denner looked to close out the Rockets with two outs in the seventh inning, they took advantage with two RBI double and tied the game at 4-4.

And as Michigan looked to make up those runs, momentum swung in its favor. 

Toledo hit two of the Wolverines’ batters to start the scoring chances in the eighth inning. Graduate pinch hitter Mack Timbrook stepped up and capitalized on the Rockets’ mistakes. He smacked a line drive that brought him safely to first, but the damage wasn’t done just yet. Graduate shortstop Kyle Dernedde scored off Timbrook’s single and a throwing error from Toledo’s pitcher sent the second runner home, giving the Wolverines their 6-4 lead.

“(Timbrook) sits the bench for seven-plus innings and comes in with a quality at-bat when we needed it the most,” Smith said. 

Although Michigan struggled to control the game, powerful bats at the right moments won the game. The Wolverines weren’t consistent all night, but they were when it mattered. 

The missed runs plagued Michigan’s chance to dominate the game. And while the Wolverines’ efforts were enough to take the win, it wasn’t enough to impress.