Michigan State University
Lynn
Baseball Gets First Win By Blasting Lynn, 23-6
3/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 6, 2001
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Michigan State baseball team hit five home runs en route to its first win of the 2001 season Tuesday (March 6), 23-6 over Lynn University. The Spartans improved to 1-5 while Lynn fell to 13-8. The 23 runs marked the most scored by a Ted Mahan-coached team and the most scored by Michigan State since April 28, 1995, in a 23-4 win over Siena Heights.
Michigan State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Brett Wattles (So./Rochester, Mich.) tripled and later scored on a wild pitch. Bob Malek (So./Detroit) led off a three-run fourth inning with a stand-up double. Malek, Rick Court (Sr./Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Kyle Geswein (Jr./Dayton, Ohio) all crossed the plate in the fourth as the Spartans moved out to a 4-0 lead. MSU added another run in the fifth to build a 5-0 lead.
The Spartans broke the game open by scoring six runs in the sixth inning. Scott Koerber (Fr./Sterling Heights, Mich.) and Troy Bergman (Jr./Grosse Pointe, Mich.) started the inning with back-to-back doubles. MSU then rattled off four-straight hits by Chris McCuiston (Jr./ Birmingham, Mich.), Charlie Braun (So./Grosse Pointe, Mich.), Wattles and Jared Koutnik (Milwaukee, Wis.). Geswein closed out the scoring in the sixth with a two-run triple to center to give the Spartans an 11-0 advantage.
Lynn finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the six, scoring six runs. A grand slam by Bo Diaz highlighted the rally.
The Spartans dashed any comeback hopes by scoring 12 runs in the final three innings. In the seventh, MSU scored five runs on two home runs - a two-run shot by McQuiston and a three-run blast by Court. Wattles hit a three-run homer and Malek delivered a two-run bomb in the eighth as the Spartans scored six to build a 22-6 lead. James Moreno (Fr./Holt, Mich.) added a solo home run in the ninth.
Wattles went five-for-five and collected a game-high six RBI. He hit three singles, a triple and a home run. Bergman had three hits in four at-bats, scored three times and drove in two runs.
Spartan starter Ryan Golem (So./Dearborn, Mich.) allowed four runs on six hits in five-plus innings to pick up his first win. Geswein worked three scoreless innings in relief, giving up two hits while striking out three.
Michigan State, 1-3 on its nine-game road trip, travels to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Wednesday to face Nova at 7 p.m.
Michigan State 23, Lynn 6Score By Innings R H EMichigan State 100 316 561 23 23 0Lynn 000 006 000 6 11 3
WP - Golem (1-0)LP - Baca (0-3)
