Michigan State University
Ohio St
Baseball Splits Doubleheader Against Ohio State
5/14/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 13, 2000
Columbus, Ohio - The Michigan State baseball team split a doubleheader against Ohio State on Saturday at Bill Davis Stadium on the OSU campus. MSU is now 20-35 (9-17 Big Ten) on the season, while the Buckeyes are 34-21 (14-13).
Game one was a classic pitchers duel between starting hurlers Gary Zsigo (Sr., Lennon, Mich.) and Kevin Goodrum. In the end, OSU got the better of the duel, winning 2-1 in 12 innings.
After three scoreless innings, MSU scored the game's first run in the top of the fourth with some help from the Buckeye defense. Ted Demetral (Sr., Rochester, Mich.) led off the inning with a single to left-center, and advanced to second on a throwing error by Goodrum, who was trying to pick off Demetral. Demetral went to third on a Bob Malek (Fr., Canton, Mich.) groundout, and scored on an RBI groundout to third base off the bat of Don Watchowski (So., Shelby Twp., Mich.).
The one run lead was good enough for Zsigo through the first six innings, as he held the Buckeyes to just three hits. The Buckeyes rallied in the seventh, however, scoring an unearned on two Spartan errors in the inning. Zsigo sent the game into extra-innings after he made a double-play on a failed OSU suicide squeeze attempt, ending the Buckeye rally.
In the top of the ninth, Chris McCuiston (So., Birmingham, Mich.) hit a controversial triple that appeared to be the game-winning home run after the ball bounced off the backdrop in dead-centerfield. The play was ruled a triple, however, and McCustion was left stranded.
Both starters remained in the game until the 11th inning. In the 11th, after a lead-off walk to Charlie Braun (Fr., Grosse Pointe, Mich.), OSU reliever Cory Cox came in for Goodrum. Goodrum went 10 innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits and six strikeouts. Cox ended the 11th by getting Malek to groundout into a 4-6-3 double play.
In the bottom of the 11th, Zsigo was finally relieved after throwing 10 1/3 innings. He allowed just one unearned run on four hits. Leaving a runner on second for reliever Dylan Putnam (So., Ann Arbor, Mich.), the Buckeyes ended the inning on a fly-out to rightfielder Mike Pisani (Sr., Rochester, Mich.).
The Spartans threatened to score in the 12th with runners on first and third and two outs, but could not capitalize after Brett Wattles (Fr., Rochester, Mich.) was picked off first.
The game finally came to an end in the bottom of the 12th. OSU led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and loaded the bases with another single following a strikeout. With one out, Buckeye designated hitter Lance Rolston hit a slow roller to second. Second baseman Demetral flipped the ball to Braun at second for the second out, but the relay to first was not in time, as Rolston beat the throw to score Nick Swisher at third base to win the game, 2-1.
Cory Cox picked up the victory for OSU (5-2), while Putnam (1-3) took the loss for Michigan State.
Following the 12 inning marathon in game one, the Spartans came back poised to take a victory in game two. MSU wasted no time taking the lead, scoring three runs on four consecutive hits in the first. Pisani and Rick Court (Jr., Grosse Pointe, Mich.) each had RBI singles in the inning.
The Spartans increased the lead to four runs in the fourth on Pisani's third homer of the year that cleared the left field fence. Pisani went 3-for-4 in game two, and needs just three more hits to become MSU's all-time hits leader.
MSU starter Scott Brandell (Jr., DeWitt, Mich.) cruised through the first three innings, but was hit for three runs in the fourth, cutting the Spartan lead to 3-2.
In the sixth, Michigan State extended its lead for Brandell to three runs on a two-run single by Braun. The Buckeyes rallied once again in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs of their own to make it a one run contest going into the last inning.
In the seventh, reliever Domanick Squires (So., Rochester, Mich.) closed the book on Ohio State, retiring his first three batters after entering the game with the winning-run on second. It was Squires' third save of the season.
Brandell (3-7) threw 5 2/3 innings in the victory, giving up five runs on 10 hits, while Greg Prenger (4-3) took the loss for OSU.
Michigan State and Ohio State conclude its four-game series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at Bill Davis Stadium.
Game One Summary R H EMSU 000 100 000 000- 1 5 2OSU 000 000 100 001- 2 7 4
WP: Cox-OSU (5-2)LP: Putnam-MSU (1-3)
Game Two Summary R H EMSU 301 002 0- 6 11 2OSU 000 302 0- 5 12 1
WP: Brandell-MSU (3-7)LP: Prenger-OSU (4-3)SV: Squires-MSU (3)
