University of Michigan’s baseball team is headed to the College World Series for the first time since 1984.
The Wolverines defeated No. 1 ranked UCLA 4-2 Sunday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles in Super Regional action after the two teams split the first two games. It is the first time the Bruins lost a home series since April of 2017 when they dropped two out of three to No. 1 ranked Oregon State.
UCLA, which had 22 comeback victories on the season, had runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. But Ben Keizer, a redshirt junior from Portage Northern, got freshman Matt McLain to bounce out to short, enabling Michigan (46-20) to qualify for the June 15-26 College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
Ako Thomas singled home a pair of runs in the fifth to give the Wolverines a 3-2 lead. Michigan added an insurance run in the ninth when Christan Bullock opened with a triple and scored on Joe Donovan’s sacrifice fly.
That proved enough for Michigan, who started Tommy Henry, a junior southpaw, also from Portage Northern. Henry, who battled the flu this past week and was hospitalized Friday, left Sunday’s game after seven innings with a 3-2 lead. Henry threw 104 pitches, gave up seven hits, while striking out six and not allowing a walk.
It was the second time that Henry beat UCLA this season, with his first win coming at UCLA in March. The Bruins were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position Sunday against Henry, who worked out of a jam in the fifth when he struck out Chase Strumpf with runners on second and third and two outs. Henry escaped another jam in the seventh after Noah Cardenas opened with a double before Henry stranded him at third.
Keizer retired the Bruins in order in the eighth before working out of trouble in the ninth to record the save.
UCLA freshman Nick Nastrini, who made his second start since Feb. 26, allowed one hit and a run over the first four innings and struck out four. But the Wolverines rallied in the fifth.
Nastrini walked Bullock to open the inning and was replaced by junior Kyle Mora. Jack Blomgren then singled Bullock to third. The threat was nearly snuffed out when UCLA had Blomgren picked off first base, but the Bruins botched the rundown, enabling Blomgren to slide safely into second. Blomgren broke his ring finger on his left hand during the slide, but he stayed in the game and scored the go-ahead run on Thomas’ single.
Michigan catcher Joe Donovan, front left, tags out UCLA's Jeremy Ydens, front right, during the fourth inning of an NCAA college baseball tournament super regional game in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu) APAP
The two teams exchanged runs in the second. Blomgren’s ground out to second brought home Jordan Brewer to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. Jack Pries then tied the game when he homered to center.
The Bruins took a 2-1 lead in the third. Garrett Mitchell smashed a sinking liner to right field that bounced past Brewer after Brewer stumbled while trying to make the play. Mitchell, who was credited with a triple, came home moments later on Ryan Kreidler’s ground out to third.
UCLA threatened in the fourth. Jeremy Ydens tried to score from first after third baseman Blake Nelson’s errant throw. First baseman Jimmy Kerr ran it down and fired to catcher Joe Donovan, who put the tag on Ydens.