Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Michigan
Baseball Falls To Michigan, 4-1
5/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 7, 2000
Ann Arbor, Mich. - The Michigan Wolverines used a four run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the MSU baseball team, 4-1, Sunday afternoon at Ray Fisher Stadium on the University of Michigan campus. The Spartans fall to 17-33 (7-16 Big Ten) on the season, while UM improves to 18-28-1 (8-16). The two schools split the four game series, with each team winning two games at home.
The game was scoreless until the Spartans scored a run in the top of the sixth. Ted Demetral (Sr., Sterling Heights, Mich.) had a one out single to right field, followed by a double up the gap in right-center field off the bat of Bob Malek (Fr., Canton, Mich.) which scored Demetral to give MSU the 1-0 lead. Malek finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate.
Spartan starter Jon Huizinga (So., Wayland, Mich.) kept his shutout alive for seven innings, but gave up consecutive hits to start off the eighth which brought in reliever Dylan Putnam (So., Ann Arbor, Mich.). Coming in with runners on second and third, Putnam struck out his first batter, and intentionally walked the second to load the bases. Putnam then walked and hit the following two Michigan batters, which gave the Wolverines a 2-1 lead. UM added two more insurance runs on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Cantalamessa and an RBI single by Scott Tousa off of reliever Domanick Squires (So., Rochester, Mich.) to increase its lead to three runs.
Michigan State tried to counter with a rally of its own in the ninth. Malek and Kyle Geswein (So., Dayton, Ohio) each had singles, but Chris McCuiston (So., Birmingham, Mich.) grounded into a force play to end the Spartan comeback.
Huizinga (3-6) scattered 10 hits on two runs in his seven innings of work. UM reliever Bryan Cranson pitched the final three innings to earn his third victory of the season.
Mike Pisani (Sr., Rochester, Mich.), who went 1-for-4 on the day, now needs only eight more hits to become MSU's all-time hits leader.
Michigan State returns to action Tuesday, May 9, to face Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Mich. at 7:00 p.m. The Spartans head back home Wednesday for its final game of the season at Kobs Field against Oakland at 3:00 p.m. before heading to Columbus, Ohio to face Ohio State in the last Big Ten series of the year.
Game Summary R H EMSU 000 001 000- 1 8 0UM 000 000 04x- 4 11 1
WP: Cranson-UM (3-4)LP: Huizinga-MSU (3-6)
