Michigan’s baseball team bounced back from a blowout loss to Penn State on Friday to win a pair of one-run games and take the weekend series against the Nittany Lions at Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines (15-12, 7-5 Big Ten) survived a comeback attempt from PSU on Saturday after jumping out to an 8-2 lead through four innings.
First baseman Jeter Ybarra, a transfer from Washington, hit his first home run in a Michigan uniform in the third – a two-run shot. The team added four more runs in the fourth, including an RBI single from outfielder Brayden Jefferis – one of his four hits in the game.
However, the Lions started to mount a comeback in the fifth. A bases-clearing double brought them to within two, and a sac fly in the seventh made it a one-run game.
Will Rogers shut the door the rest of the way, allowing one run on two hits over five innings to stamp an 8-7 victory.
On Sunday, the Wolverines claimed the series with a 6-5 comeback victory. PSU scored five unearned runs in the first three innings against Kurt Barr, but he settled in after a bumpy start. The junior right-hander tossed seven innings and struck out seven to earn the win.
Michigan scored five in the bottom of the third, including hitting a pair of solo home runs. Greg Pace put the team on the board with his first of the season, while Cole Caruso’s seventh bookended the scoring in the inning.
Jonathan Kim’s pinch-hit RBI double in the seventh was the difference. Max Debiec pitched two scoreless innings to earn the save and didn’t allow a hit.
On Friday, Michigan was outhit 12-10 in a 12-5 loss. It pounced on the Lions early with a two-run first, but PSU scored 11 of its runs in the first six innings to pull away.
The Wolverines play at Eastern Michigan on Tuesday before a three-game series at Oregon Friday-Sunday.