Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Minnesota
Baseball Upsets 30th-ranked Minnesota, 9-7
4/30/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 30, 2000
Lansing, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team upset 30th-ranked Minnesota, 9-7, Sunday afternoon at Oldsmobile Park. MSU improves to 15-31 (5-14 Big Ten) on the season, while the Gophers fall to 30-17 (15-5) on the year.
The Spartans were in command the entire game, building an 8-0 lead after three innings. Mike Pisani (Sr., Rochester, Mich.) started off the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning which brought home Brett Wattles (Fr., Rochester, Mich.). Pisani, who went 4-for-5 on the day, needs only 13 hits to become MSU's all-time hits leader.
Michigan State followed its two-run first with two runs in the second and four in the third. Ted Demetral (Sr., Sterling Heights, Mich.) hit a double to right-center field that scored Wattles and Matt Haynes (So., Midland, Mich.) in the second. In the third, Haynes and Wattles each had RBI singles, increasing the lead to eight runs.
After Minnesota scored its first two runs of the game in the top of the sixth, Rick Court (Jr., Grosse Pointe, Mich.) hit his second sacrifice fly of the game in the bottom half of the inning.
The Gophers came back to score runs in each of the last three innings, but the seven-run deficit after six innings was too much for UM to overcome.
Spartan starter Scott Brandell (Jr., DeWitt, Mich.) picked up his second victory of the year, holding Minnesota to two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. Dylan Putnam (So., Ann Arbor, Mich.) pitched the final three innings to earn his first career save as a Spartan.
Michigan State has the week off before returning to action Friday, May 5, to face the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Spartans and Wolverines will then play a doubleheader at Oldsmobile Park on Saturday, May 6 at 1 p.m. UM and MSU conclude the four-game set on Sunday, May 7, in Ann Arbor.
Game Summary R H EUM 000 002 311- 7 11 5MSU 224 001 00x- 9 12 0
WP: Brandell-MSU (2-7)LP: Clarey-UM (5-5)S: Putnam-MSU (1)
