Back-and-forth extra-inning epic ends Michigan’s season in 7-6 loss to Penn State

OMAHA, Neb. — The Michigan baseball team walked into Charles Schwab Field Saturday with a grudge to settle.

Whether the Wolverines will tell you that or not, it’s pretty evident that’s how they carried themselves. Though the season series against Penn State was tied at two apiece, the Nittany Lions walked out of Thursday’s game with a win in the rivals’ most important game of the year to date. With its back against the wall, Michigan needed a win to avoid a season-ending elimination.

In an eerily-similar matchup to Thursday, the Wolverines (32-28 overall, 14-10 Big Ten) and Penn State (29-23, 12-12) battled in a back-and-forth fantastical thriller. And in the same fashion, a late home run sent the Wolverines packing.

Nobody embodied this gritty mentality more than sophomore right-hander Kurt Barr. Working on just two day’s rest, Barr’s name was called once again. Michigan’s ace, Barr didn’t need extended days off to recover from his start. Taking some velocity off his pitches, Barr relied on his stuff to control the game. Dealing fastballs in the high-80s and curveballs in the low-70s, he kept Penn State off the board for the first 3.1 innings while punching six strikeouts.

But Barr’s shutout was bound to break, and it did on a rare error by graduate right fielder Stephen Hrustich in the fourth inning. As the Nittany Lions’ designated hitter Matt Maloney slapped a single to right field, Hrustich let the ball roll right under his glove and toward the wall. Instead of an RBI single, Maloney ended up on third base and a second run came home. In the next at-bat, a sacrifice fly scored another run, as Penn State took a 3-0 lead.

Replacing Barr on the mound to start the fifth was fifth-year left-hander Jacob Denner. Similarly to Barr, Denner has seen his fair share of appearances on short rest, so two days between outings on the bump is nothing new for him. And through his first two innings of work, he recorded a clean sheet — long enough for the Wolverines’ bats to wake up. 

After a ground out plated Michigan’s run of the game, the Nittany Lions had two outs and a chance to get themselves out of the sixth inning. Instead, Michigan hammered away at Penn State right-hander Mason Horwat. After a hit-by-pitch and a full count walk, the opportunity was right there. But someone had to take it.

Graduate shortstop Kyle Dernedde jumped on the first pitch he saw. Horwat hung a curveball over the heart of the strike zone, allowing Dernedde to drive a sharp line drive down the left-field line for a two-run double to tie the game at three. An inning later, Hrustich drove a triple that found the left-field corner that scored the leading run. He scored soon after on a wild pitch to push the Wolverines to a 5-3 lead.

Despite giving up the lead, Penn State wasn’t going to let Michigan run away with the game. The two adversaries were in the same position Thursday — entering the eighth inning, the Wolverines had a lead but the Nittany Lions bursted a massive inning to swing the game in their favor. And Saturday, the pattern looked to repeat. With no outs, Denner allowed a solo shot on the second pitch of the inning, and three singles in the following four at-bats had Penn State banging on the door.

And soon after, Nittany Lions’ third baseman Bryce Molinaro stepped into the batter’s box. In the eighth inning with the bases loaded Thursday, Molinaro blasted a go-ahead grand slam to take a late lead. A silence fell upon Charles Schwab Field as Molinaro had a chance to do the same.

While Molinaro didn’t mash a no-doubter for the second time, he did whack a single to tie the game. The thriller that the two teams endured two days prior reared its head again.

Though Michigan banged on the door just as hard in the bottom of the eighth, no runs came through. So as the ‘0’ flipped on the scorecard for the Wolverines and Penn State got ready to bat, the next run could decide the game.

Marching back onto the mound for potentially his last collegiate inning pitched, Denner didn’t let the moment get to him. Buckling down when Michigan needed him the most, he coaxed three fly outs to keep the game knotted. But the Wolverines didn’t walk it off, sending the tense game into extra innings.

Coming out for yet another inning, Denner hoped to continue his strong outing. But in a flash, Nittany Lions’ right fielder Adam Cecere smashed a two-run shot over the right-field wall to take a 7-5 lead.

With just three out to save the season, Michigan needed heroics. While sophomore first baseman Mitch Voit delivered a blast to bring the game within one, Hrustich flew out to end the season.

Just like Thursday, the Wolverines fell ever so short despite a gritty effort. But this time, it ended their season.

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