The University of Michigan baseball team pulled off a stunning upset, defeating No. 2-ranked Virginia 5-4 in the 11th inning of their opening game at the Puerto Rico Challenge.
Michigan’s Mitch Voit sparked the bottom of the 11th inning with a lead-off single, and after two outs, teammate Matt Spear hit a grounder to first base that was misplayed into foul territory. With one out, Spear rounded the bases, scoring the winning run and giving Michigan its first victory of the season.
Spear led the offense with a two-run home run in the sixth inning, while Voit contributed with a double and an RBI. The Wolverines’ starter, Dylan Vigue, pitched 5.1 innings but allowed six hits and three strikeouts.
In the top of the fifth, Virginia tied the game with a two-out double, but Vigue forced out the runner to keep it at 2-1. Later in the inning, Virginia knotted the score with a single, but U-M responded with a hit-by-pitch and turned a double play to erase the threat.
The game remained tied until the sixth inning, when Spear’s home run gave Michigan the lead. Virginia matched the score in the seventh, but U-M held strong behind three different pitchers in the eighth inning.
In the bottom of the 11th inning, Gavin DeVooght earned the win with two scoreless innings to finish the game. Michigan improves to 1-0 and looks forward to their next game against Rice on Saturday at 2 p.m. AST.
Source: https://mgoblue.com/news/2025/2/14/baseball-michigan-topples-no-2-virginia-in-extras-to-open-puerto-rico-challenge