Michigan State University
Michigan (DH)
Baseball Falls Twice At Michigan
4/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 19, 2003
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team fell twice to Michigan Saturday afternoon (April 19) at Ray Fisher Stadium on the UM campus. The Spartans lost 2-1 in game one and 12-0 in the second game. MSU now stands at 11-23 (4-9 Big Ten) for the season, while Michigan is 18-16 (6-7 BT).
MSU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth in game one but Michigan scored two runs for the comeback 2-1 victory. The Wolverines tied the game on a Jordan Catalamessa double which brought home a run and put runners on second and third with one out. MSU starter Tim Day (So., West Chester) then intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases, setting up the double play. The plan backfired, however, as Day hit Brandon Roberts on an 0-2 count to force in the winning run. MSU got out of the inning on two groundouts.
UM left-hander Drew Taylor, who went the distance, retired the Spartans in order in the seventh. Taylor scattered eight hits and struck out three to improve to 4-1. Day (2-6) allowed two runs on six hits with two strikeouts in the loss.
MSU scored its lone run in the fourth on an Erik Morris (So., Orchard Lake) single that plated Scott Koerber (Jr., Harper Woods). Morris, James Moreno (Jr., Holt) and Charlie Braun (Sr., Grosse Pointe) each collected two hits in the game for MSU.
The Spartans squandered scoring chances in the second and third innings. In almost a carbon copy of the play that scored MSU's only run in the fourth, Morris hit a single in the second with Koerber on second base, but Koerber was thrown out at home by UM right fielder Brandon Roberts for the third out. In the third, the Spartans had runners on first and third with no outs, but a double play and a groundout ended the scoring threat.
In game two, Jake Fox of Michigan hit a three-run homer in the first as the Wolverines rolled, 12-0. Michigan added two runs in the second, one in the third and six in the fourth. Cantalamessa went 3-for-3 as the Wolverine offense collected 13 hits in the game.
Bobby Garza threw all seven innings for Michigan while fanning four and scattering six hits to earn his fourth win of the season. Spartan starter Patrick Gill (Sr., Grandville) tossed 2 2/3 innings and took the loss for MSU.
Morris tied a career high with three hits in the second game for MSU.
MSU will try and even the season series against Michigan tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, April 20) at Kobs Field beginning at 1 p.m.
SPARTAN GAME NOTES:
* Brandon Volas made his collegiate debut in game two of the doubleheader.
GAME SUMMARIES
GAME ONE R H EMSU 000 100 0- 1 8 2MICH 000 002 x- 2 6 2
WP: Taylor-MICH (4-1)LP: Day-MSU (2-6)
GAME TWO R H EMSU 000 000 0- 0 6 2MICH 321 600 x- 12 13 0
WP: Garza-MICH (4-1)LP: Gill-MSU (0-6)
