Michigan State University
Penn St
Spartans Swept In Doubleheader At Penn State
5/12/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 12, 2001
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Michigan State baseball team (29-26, 9-15) fell by scores of 6-3 and 8-7 in a doubleheader at Penn State on Saturday (May 12). Penn State broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning of game one and won in extra innings in game two after scoring the tying run in the seventh inning.
Spartan sophomore Bob Malek (So., Canton) broke the seven-year-old MSU single-season record for hits in game two of the twin bill when his single up the middle in the fifth inning gave him 85 hits on the season. He also added one more hit in the game to bring his season total to 86.
"He has had a fantastic year and has been consistent all season long," MSU coach Ted Mahan said. "From his freshman year to his sophomore year, he has improved a great deal. Even though he had a great freshman year, Bob has continued to work hard and obviously, all his hard work has paid off. Hopefully, he can break his own record next year."
In game one, a two-out solo home run by James Moreno (Fr., Holt) in the second inning put the Spartans up 1-0. It was Moreno's second homer of the series and fourth of the year. Penn State tied the game at one in the bottom of the second when John Richmond drove in a run off a single. MSU reclaimed the lead in the third frame, 2-1, when Brady Burrill (So., Newhall, Calif.) grounded into a double play and scored Chris McCuiston (Jr., Birmingham).
After PSU took a 3-2 lead off two runs in the third, MSU came back to tie the game at three when Bob Malek (So., Canton) scored from third base off a wild pitch.
Penn State scored what proved to be the winning run in the fifth and then added two more runs in the sixth off three hits, making the final score 6-3.
Starting pitcher Bryan Gale (Fr., Decatur) threw a complete game and tied a career-high with eight strikeouts but suffered his first loss of the season. Gale (9-1) allowed 10 hits and six earned runs. Reliever Kevin Damiano (3-3) earned the win for PSU.
McCuiston led off game two with a triple and scored two batters later to give MSU a 1-0 lead, however, the Nittany Lions took the lead with two runs off two hits and one balk.
The Spartans came back to tie the game, 2-2, when Kevin Crews (Jr., Hinckley, Ohio) nailed a single to right-center that scored Moreno. After PSU took a 3-2 lead in the second, the Spartans came back to tie the game in the fourth when Moreno scored from third off a ground out by Crews.
Penn State went ahead, 5-3, in the fourth but MSU responded in the fifth when three of the first four batters reached on singles to load the bases. Malek, who reached on his record-breaking single, scored off a sacrifice fly by Moreno to cut the PSU lead to 5-4. The Spartans took the lead, 6-5, in the sixth off a sacrifice fly by McCuiston that scored Scott Koerber (Fr., Harper Woods) and a RBI single by Burrill.
PSU tied the game at six in the sixth frame but the Spartans battled back again and went ahead in the seventh when Koerber drove in Moreno to score the go-ahead run. Penn State struck back again in the seventh, tying the affair and sending into extra frames. In the eighth, PSU loaded the bases and then won the game, 8-7, on a sacrifice fly to leftfield.
Scott Koerber went 3-for-3 in game two with one RBI. Game two featured six ties, four lead changes and a combined eight pitchers.
MSU's game two starter Scott Brandell (Sr., DeWitt) pitched four and one-third innings and punched out five batters, surrendered eight hits and four earned runs. Domanick Squires (Jr., Rochester Hills) replaced Brandell and threw two and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs (one earned) off two hits. Nick Bates (Jr., Blissfield) pitched the eighth inning and took the loss (4-4).
The losses eliminate the Spartans from Big Ten post-season play. The Spartans entered the four-game series at Penn State needing three wins to advance to the Big Ten Tournament. The two teams will complete the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. with LHP Kyle Geswein scheduled to pitch for the Spartans.
Game 1Penn State 6, Michigan State 3WP-Damiano (3-3)LP-Gale (9-1)Score By Innings R H EMichigan State 011 010 0 3 5 0Penn State 012 012 x 6 10 1
Game 2Penn State 8, Michigan State 7WP-Smith (2-1)LP-Bates (4-4)Score By Innings R H EMichigan State 110 112 10 7 12 3Penn State 210 201 11 8 11 2
