2015 NCAA BASEBALL LOUISVILLE REGIONAL | GAME 5
(3) Michigan 4, (2) Bradley 3 - Bradley Eliminated

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Bradley could not come up with enough clutch hits as Michigan (39-24) ended its historic season with a 4-3 win in Sunday's Louisville Regional elimination game at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Both teams banged out nine hits, but Bradley was just 1-for-15 with runners on base, including 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. While the Braves (36-21) see their first postseason since 1968 come to an end, Michigan advances to Sunday's 3 p.m. regional championship game against host Louisville. The Wolverines must be Louisville twice - an if necessary game is slated for 6 p.m. Monday - to advance to the NCAA Baseball Super Regionals against the Fullerton Regional champion.

Bradley had scored in the first inning in four consecutive games and had a golden opportunity to extend the streak in the first inning Sunday after Chris Godinez led off with a bloop single to right field and Isaac Smith followed with a sacrifice bunt that resulted in a throwing error. Both players advanced after a passed ball, but Spencer Gaa's fly ball to center field was too shallow to score Godinez from third and Wolverines starter Evan Hill got Elliot Ashbeck to foul out and struck out Paul Solka to end the visitor's first.

Michigan took advantage of its first-inning scoring opportunity, using three straight 1-out
singles to take a 1-0 lead. Carmen Benedetti's blooper into left field brought home Jackson Glines for his 68th RBI of the season.

Bradley squandered a second scoring opportunity in the second inning after catcher Drew Carlile opened the inning with a double into the right field corner, but Hill recovered by striking out Tyler Leffler, Evan Gruener and Carson Weber to keep the Braves off the board.

Michigan took advantage of a leadoff single in the second to extend its lead. Kevin White
opened the frame with a line drive through the box, took second on a Johnny Slater sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored on Kendall Patrick's sacrifice fly.

The Braves tried for 2-out magic in the third inning after Gaa legged out an infield single and Ashbeck followed with a walk, but when Patrick successfully blocked a Hill pitch in the dirt and threw out Gaa at third base to end the inning.

The Wolverines benefitted from a mysterious balk call and more timely hitting to extend the lead to 3-0 in the fourth. After White drew a leadoff walk, Slater attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Stong pounced on the ball and threw out the lead runner at second. A balk was called on the pitch, however, allowing White second base and he took third when Slater executed his second sacrifice of the game. Stong nearly got out of the jam, but after striking out Patrick, Jacob Cronenworth followed with a hot shot in the hole betweeen first and second that Bradley second baseball Chris Godinez was able to knock down, but he could not keep the ball close enough to throw to first for the inning-ending out.

Evan Gruener led off the fifth inning with a soft single to center field and Carson Weber
followed with a sacrifice bunt. Hill's throw to first on the bunt sailed high and he then
plunked Godinez to load the bases with no outs. Smith hit into a controversial double play
that scored Gruener, but replay showed Smith beat the throw to first base. Gaa lined out to end the inning with Michigan still leading, 3-1.

Michigan got the run back in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of a leadoff walk when Jake Bivens poked a ground ball double inside the bag at third base to plate Travis Maezes for a 4-1 lead.

Bradley's unearned run in the fifth was the first run allowed by Michigan pitching in the first
six innings of the three Louisville Regional games since the Braves scored in the first inning of Friday's tourney opener. The Wolverines allowed four runs in he final three frames in each of the first two regional games, however.

The Braves added to the late-inning totals in the seventh when Tyler Leffler opened the inning with a single, took second on a Gruener sacrifice and scored on a 2-out Chris Godinez single. With Bradley within 4-2, the Wolverines turned to reliever Mac Lozer, who got Smith to ground out to end the seventh.

Gaa led off the eighth inning with his second hit of the day, but he was stranded at third base after the Wolverines made a pair of pitching changes to escape the inning unscathed.

Gruener allowed Bradley to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning by launching a 1-out home run down the right field line, his seventh of the year, chasing Pall. The blast
forced another Michigan pitching change as the Wolverines turned to first baseman Carmen Benedetti to get the final two outs. After catching pinch-hitter Mike Riesner looking, Benedetti walked Godinez before Smith lined out on a hot shot to third base to end the game.