Michigan State University
Oakland
Spartan Baseball Downs Oakland, 12-3
4/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 18, 2001
ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team (18-18, 4-10) defeated Oakland University on Wednesday (April 18) by a score of 12-3. The Spartans received home runs from three different players in the victory.
The Spartans jumped out front early in the first inning, sending all nine batters to the plate, scoring six runs. Bob Malek (So., Canton) got the scoring started with an RBI single that scored Chris McCuiston (Jr., Birmingham). After a sacrifice fly by Kyle Geswein (Jr., Dayton, Ohio) scored Malek, and a single by James Moreno (Fr., Holt), Scott Koerber (Fr., Grosse Pointe) belted his first homer of his collegiate career to right field. MSU added one more run in the inning to make the score 6-0. Oakland used two pitchers in the first inning, as starter Steve Kniebbe lasted just two-thirds of an inning allowing six earned runs off four hits.
Two more runners crossed home plate in the second for State, extending their lead to 8-0. Brady Burrill (So., Newhall, Calif.) hit a two run homer in the top of the fourth frame to put the Spartans in double digits, 10-0. The Spartans struck again in the seventh when McCuiston hit a two-run blast to left field, building their lead to 12-0.
The Grizzlies broke the shut out in the seventh with one run and then added another in the eighth off a solo home run by Tony Marulli, making the score 12-2. OU added single run in the ninth to make the final score 12-3.
Starting pitcher Bryan Gale (Fr., Decatur) threw five complete innings for the Green and White, surrendering no runs off four hits while striking out four. Jon Huizinga (Jr., Wayland), Scott Brandell (Sr., DeWitt), Ryan Kurtz (Fr., Toledo, Ohio) and Domanick Squires (Jr., Rochester Hills) pitched the final four innings for the Spartans and allowed six hits collectively.
The Spartans return home this weekend to take on Northwestern in a four-game Big Ten series beginning Friday at 3 p.m.
Michigan State 12, Oakland 3WP- Gale (6-0)LP- Kniebbe (1-2)Score By Innings R H EMichigan State 620 200 200 12 13 1Oakland 000 000 111 3 10 4
