Michigan State University
Central Michigan
Baseball Falls To Central Michigan, 9-2
3/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 4, 2003
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Michigan State baseball team dropped a 9-2 decision to Central Michigan in game one of the 2003 University of North Florida/Kennel Club Classic on Tuesday, March 4.
The Chippewas opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the first inning and tacked on two more in the third to take a 5-0 lead.
MSU finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth when Brady Burrill (Newhall, Calif.) doubled, went to third on a single by Scott Koerber (Harper Woods, Mich.), and then scored on a wild pitch.
However, Central Michigan would add a single run in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh to increase its lead to 8-1.
The Spartans would cut the lead to 8-2 with a solo homerun by Travis Gulick (East Lansing, Mich.) in the top of the eighth, but the Chippewas would tack on one more run in the bottom of the ninth for a final 9-2 decision.
CMU pitcher Jeff Garner fanned 14 batters in picking up his first win of the season.
Freshman Chris Toepper (Portage, Mich.) earned the starting nod for the Spartans and pitched 2.3 innings, giving up five runs and four hits. Toepper was relieved by senior Ryan Golem (Dearborn, Mich.), who pitched three innings and allowed one run on one hit. Tom Grant (Jenison, Mich.) and Darren Nasatir (Long Grove, Ill.) also saw action on the mound for the Spartans.
MSU (4-3 overall) continues its Florida trip, facing Jacksonville in game two of the UNC/Kennel Club Classic on Wednesday, March 5. The first pitch is set for 7 p.m.
