Michigan
22-15, 8-3
Ohio State
12-23, 2-10
Stewart Slams Buckeyes with Three Homers, 11 RBI as U-M Survives Slugfest
4/23/2022 5:38:00 PM | Baseball
» Joe Stewart hit grand slams in the second and third innings, a two-run homer in the fifth, and an RBI single in the seventh, finishing with 11 RBI.
» Michigan drew seven walks and a hit-by-pitch in the first three innings to set the table.
» Trailing 16-4, Ohio State scored nine runs in the last two innings to make the final margin closer.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: Michigan 16, Ohio State 13
Records: U-M (22-15, 8-3 B1G), OSU (12-23, 2-10 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 24 -- vs. Ohio State (Wilpon Complex), 1 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Graduate transfer Joe Stewart had a game to remember on Super Hero Day (Saturday, April 23) at Ray Fisher Stadium as the centerfielder belted home runs in three consecutive at-bats, including two grand slams, and drove in 11 runs in the University of Michigan baseball team's 16-13 win over Ohio State.
Stewart's heroics came on full display of a standing-room-only crowd of 2,750, marking the second-largest regular-season crowd in stadium history. Today's crowd ranks only behind the 3,453 that saw Jim Abbott's number get retired on April 18, 2009.
As it did on Friday, Ohio State jumped out to a second-inning lead, this time with a two-out, two-run double from Zach Dezenzo. As it did on Friday, Michigan responded in its half the inning, only with more emphasis than the previous day.
The Maize and Blue batted around against a top-tier lefty hurler in OSU's Isaiah Coupet, stringing together numerous patient at-bats and eventually working his pitch count to over 55 through just two frames. The big blow was delivered by Stewart, who met a first-pitch curveball and drove a ball 407 feet over the center-field fence for a grand slam and a sudden 6-2 lead. Stewart would soon punish OSU again and again.
Michigan kept the quality at-bats coming in the third, walking the bases loaded and chasing Coupet from the game. Reliever Trent Jones walked in a run, allowed an RBI single to Clark Elliott, and then hung an 0-1 curveball to Stewart, who raked his second grand slam in as many innings, this one coming off his bat at 109 miles per hour for a titanic shot over the left-field wall and a 12-2 lead.
Two innings later, Stewart hammered another curveball over the left-field wall for a two-run homer and a 14-2 lead.
Stewart came up in the seventh, and OSU was warned after throwing a high fastball under his chin. He responded with a line-drive RBI single to left field, giving him an astounding 11 runs batted in. It was part of a two-run inning that also saw Trevor Kilinski log his first collegiate hit and RBI.
Ohio State made things respectable with five runs in the eighth on a Dezenzo grand slam and closed within 16-11 in the ninth on an Archer Bookman two-run homer. Then, with two outs, a dropped fly ball pushed two more runs across to force Michigan into its bullpen. Jacob Denner entered and needed just three pitches to get a groundout and end the game for his second save of the year.
Cameron Weston battled through 6.0 innings of work, stranding eight Buckeyes on base, including six through the first three innings alone. He eventually earned the win by striking out five batters against five hits and five walks.
The teams will conclude their series Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Weston, Cameron (4-2)
L: Coupet, Isaiah (2-4)
S: Denner, Jacob (2)
Batting:
2B: Dezenzo, Zach 2 ; Kern, Kade 1 ; Pettorini, Tyler 1
HR: Dezenzo, Zach 1 ; Robinson, Blayne 1 ; Brookman, Archer 1
RBI: Dezenzo, Zach 6 ; Kern, Kade 4 ; Robinson, Blayne 1 ; Brookman, Archer 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Ernst, Marcus 1 ; Dezenzo, Zach 3 ; Lipsey, Trey 2 ; Robinson, Blayne 1 ; Bauer, Colton 1 ; Pettorini, Tyler 1 ; Brookman, Archer 3 ; Okuley, Mitchell 1
HBP: Dezenzo, Zach 1
Batting:
2B: Velazquez, Joey 1
HR: Stewart, Joe 3
RBI: Elliott, Clark 1 ; Stewart, Joe 11 ; Kilinski, Trevor 1 ; Bertram, Riley 1 ; Frey, Matt 1 ; Velazquez, Joey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Elliott, Clark 3 ; Stewart, Joe 4 ; Obertop, Jimmy 1 ; Flores, Tito 2 ; Frey, Matt 2 ; Van Remortel, Jack 2 ; Velazquez, Joey 2
HBP: Flores, Tito 1
