Michigan baseball sweeps Northwestern in weekend series

The Michigan Wolverines baseball team needed a big weekend to stay in the hunt for the Big Ten title, and that’s what they got.

The Wolverines swept the Northwestern Wildcats, improving to 26-22 (13-8) and moving into a tie for third in the conference. With one series remaining, Michigan sits two games out of first place.

Here’s how the series over the weekend against Northwestern went down.

Game 1: 12-5 W

Michigan got up early in this one and never let the Wildcats get back in it. Obertop put the Wolverines on the board in the 1st with an RBI single to make it 1-0. Ted Burton came up big the next inning with a double that scored two and at the end of the inning, Michigan led 4-0.

Mitch Voit and Gabe Sotres added to the scoring in the 3rd, and the Wolverines were pouring it on Northwestern, now leading 6-0. The Cats got a couple back in the 4th to trim the lead to 6-2.

Burton had an immediate response for Michigan, as his solo shot made it 7-2. Another run scored on a wild pitch, and the lead was back up to six.

Northwestern added a couple more in the 5th and another in the 7th to make it 8-5 and threatened to comeback, but the Wolverines found a way to respond and pull away again.

Pinch-hitter Casey Buckley stepped up and drove in two with a double, and then scored on a single from Cody Jeffris, putting Michigan up 11-5 and closing the door on a Northwestern comeback.

Connor O’Halloran got the win on the mound and Michael Farinelli got the loss for Northwestern. Michigan ended up winning, 12-5.

Game 2: 5-2 W

This game was closer and not nearly as high-scoring. The story of this game was Mitch Voit, who took the mound for the Wolverines and earned the win, but he stepped up big time at the plate as well.

Both teams had traded a couple runs throughout the game, but things had been relatively quiet up until the bottom of the 8th with the game tied 2-2.

The Wolverines had runners on the corners with Voit up to the plate with a chance to put Michigan ahead. Voit sent a high fly ball into left-center that left the ballpark to give Michigan a 5-2 lead, then went and closed things out on the hill in the 9th. Impressive stuff from Voit.

Jack Dyle got the loss for the Wildcats and Michigan took game two, 5-2.

Game 3: 15-5 W

The final game of the series was Senior Day, and it sure was all about the seniors, specifically Jeffris.

Northwestern actually got out to a 3-0 lead and made the Wolverines play from behind, but Michigan caught up quickly. Burton continued his big weekend with a two-RBI double in the 3rd, and then a big 4th inning that saw homers from Burton and Jeffris put the Wolverines up 7-3.

Jack Van Remortel hit a solo shot in the 5th to make it 8-3. Northwestern responded with a two-run shot of its own to make it 8-5, but a massive 7th inning for Michigan put the Wildcats to bed.

Six runs were brought in by Michigan in the 7th inning, highlighted by a three-run triple from Jeffris that got him the cycle. He is the first Wolverine this season to hit for the cycle.

Michigan went on to win, 15-5, and complete the sweep. Jacob Denner got the win for the Wolverines, and Luke Benneche took the loss for Northwestern.

While this game was Senior Day, there is still one more game at Ray Fisher Stadium, as Michigan hosts Xavier tomorrow, Tuesday, at 4 p.m.