Michigan State University
Ohio St
Spartan Baseball Falls In Heartbreaker to OSU, 10-9
4/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 13, 2001
East Lansing, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team (16-16, 3-8) fell to Ohio State (25-7, 7-2) Friday (April 13) at Kobs Field by a score of 10-9. Trailing 10-6 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Spartans rallied but were unable to tie the game. A grand slam by Ohio State's Christian Snavely in the top of the ninth inning gave the Buckeyes what proved to be an insurmountable lead.
MSU got out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning. After a single by Bob Malek (So., Canton), Brady Burrill (So., Newhall, Calif.) hit a two-run homer to right-center. The Buckeyes responded in the top of the second when John Mayor hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Nick Swisher.
In the fourth, OSU's Mayor got his second RBI of the day without a hit when he scored Steve Caravati on an infield groundout to tie the game at two. The Buckeyes broke the game open in the fifth with four straight hits to start the inning, leading to four runs. The first two runs scored off a two-RBI triple by Mike Check followed by a two-run homer by Doug Dendinger.
In the Spartan half of the sixth, MSU threatened with three of the first four batters reaching base and followed through when James Moreno (Fr., Holt) knocked an RBI single to right field to score Brett Wattles (So., Rochester). Troy Bergman (Jr., Grosse Pointe) then hit a two-RBI single that scored Malek and Burrill, bringing the Spartans within one run, 6-5.
Kyle Geswein (Jr., Dayton, Ohio) tied the game for MSU in the bottom of the eighth frame with a solo home run to right field.
In the ninth, the first three Buckeye hitters reached base and all crossed home when pinch-hitter Christian Snavely hit a grand slam down the right field line to put OSU ahead, 10-6. The Spartans rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning with three runs, but failed to tie the game. Two of the first three batters reached safely and then scored when Burrill hit a two-RBI single to make the score 10-8. MSU loaded the bases and put up another run when David Miller (Fr., Whitehall) reached on an error to score Burrill. The game ended with the bases loaded.
MSU Starting pitcher Kyle Geswein went five and one-third innings, allowing six runs off ten hits while striking out three. Dylan Putnam (Jr., Ann Arbor) entered the game in the sixth inning and allowed just one hit and had one strike out but suffered the loss. Bryan Gale (Fr., Decatur) and Ryan Kurtz (Fr., Toledo, Ohio) made relief appearances. Brandon Steen picked up his third victory of the season for the Buckeyes.
The two teams will meet again tomorrow in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Kobs Field.
Ohio State 10, Michigan State 9WP- Steen (3-2)LP- Putnam (1-6)Score By Innings R H EOhio State 010 140 004 10 13 3Michigan State 200 003 013 9 13 2
