OMAHA, Neb. — Redshirt freshman Isaiah Paige pitched well, but Michigan's mistakes and inability to score with runners in scoring position doomed the Wolverines in a 4-1, Game Two World Series loss to Vanderbilt.
U-M and Vanderbilt will square off Wednesday in the last game of the season, with the National Championship on the line.
Paige got the surprise start for the Wolverines, and he was excellent early. He’d pitched only 5.2 innings in the postseason, but mowed down all three Commodores he faced in the first inning, including a pair of strikeouts.
Elite Vanderbilt righty Kumar Rocker, though, matched it. He also went 1-2-3 through the top of the Michigan order with two Ks, throwing only 11 pitches (10 for strikes).
The pitchers continued to dominate in the early going. Paige allowed his first hit in the third and gave up a few long foul balls and hard-hit outs, but did his job. He stranded a runner on third to end the inning when JJ Bleday lined out to left.
Michigan shortstop Jack Blomgren led off the bottom of the third with the Wolverines’ first hit on a sharp single to left. He went to second on catcher Joe Donovan’s sacrifice bunt, and U-M had something going when second baseman and nine hitter Ako Thomas walked.
The Wolverines got aggressive, sending both runners, and it nearly paid off. Leadoff hitter and DH Jordan Nwogu grounded to third, with third baseman Austin Martin bobbling it. Nwogu, though, pulled up lame with an apparent thigh injury and was thrown out. Centerfielder Jesse Franklin struck out with runners at second and third to end the threat.
Paige got out of the fourth allowing only a single, and Rocker quickly got the first two outs in the bottom of the frame. Third baseman Blake Nelson reached on an error by shortstop Ethan Paul. Left fielder Christan Bullock walked, and a double steal had runners on second and third for the second straight inning.
They stranded them again, Blomgren grounding to short to end the frame. Rocker, though, was up to 65 pitches through four innings.
Paige gave up a leadoff single in the top of the fifth to second baseman Harrison Ray, and that was it. He left to a standing ovation from the Michigan faithful and his teammates after allowing only three hits.
Keizer got Duvall to ground up the middle, but the potential double play ball went through Blomgren’s legs. The Commodores had runners at first and third with nobody out.
Keizer responded by striking out first baseman Julian Infante, but a grounder to third scored the run. A pair of intentional walks loaded the bases, but a groundout to short by catcher Philip Clarke on a nice play by Blomgren ended the threat.
The wheels came off the wagon the next inning. Keizer gave up a single and walk, and both runners advanced on a bunt. Jack Weisenburger came in to pitch and gave up two runs on wild pitches, walking both batters he faced before sophomore Angelo Smith relieved him. Smith struck out Martin and Bleday to end the inning, but Vanderbilt led 3-0.
The Wolverines mounted a threat in the bottom of the sixth. Franklin reached on an error and right fielder Jordan Brewer singled, but Kerr struck out for the third time. Blake Nelson flied out to left and left fielder Christan Bullock roped one to the warning track in left to end the threat.
Clarke’s home run to right made it 4-0 in the seventh. U-M continued to roll out different pitchers, and freshman Willie Weiss got Ray to fly out to center to end the inning.
U-M finally broke through in the eighth. A Blomgren single and a balk put a runner on second, and Thomas brought him in with a single to left. That was it for Rocker. U-M threatened to add more, but reliever Tyler Brown struck out Brewer looking with two men on.
Neither team threatened in a quick eighth, and Michigan reliever Walker Cleveland got through the ninth 1-2-3. The Wolverines went 1-2-3, as well, to end it.
Vanderbilt tied the series 1-1 (U-M won Monday's game, 7-4) and will be the home team in Wednesday night's deciding game (7:00, ESPN).
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42, @Balas_Wolverine and @DrewCHallett
• Like us on Facebook
