Michigan State University
Iowa (DH)
Spartan Baseball Splits Doubleheader Against Iowa
4/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 26, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team split a doubleheader with Iowa Saturday afternoon (April 26) at Kobs Field on the MSU campus. MSU won big in game one, 11-3, but lost game two, 4-1. The Spartans now stand at 13-27 (5-12 Big Ten) for the season, while Iowa is 13-20 (5-13 BT).
Right-hander Tim Day (So., West Chester) put on a free pitching clinic for the Junior Spartans in attendence as he shut down the Hawkeye offense with a four-hit complete game in MSU's 11-3 game one triumph. Day kept the Iowa batters guessing all game as he spotted his pitches brilliantly for his third win of the season. The preseason All-American only allowed one earned run and has given up just seven earned runs in his last 27 1/3 innings of work.
Day was comfortable on the mound due in part to MSU's 11-run, 13-hit offensive explosion at the plate. The Spartans broke the game open with six runs in the fourth inning, keyed by a Travis Gulick (So., East Lansing) three-run homer that cleared the right-field fence and landed in the Red Cedar River. MSU collected seven hits in the inning, including run-scoring singles by James Moreno (Jr., Holt), Brett Wattles (Sr., Rochester) and Charlie Braun (Sr., Grosse Pointe).
Feeding the Spartan offense in game one was an aggressive running game that featured several successful hit-and-run attempts and four stolen bases. Erik Morris (So., Orchard Lake) perfected the hit-and-run twice as he produced two opposite-field hits that advanced runners. Morris finished the game 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs, while David Miller (So., Whitehall), Wattles and Gulick each collected two hits.
Patrick Gill (Sr., Grandville) struck out a career-high seven in game two, but surrendered two two-run homers in Iowa's 4-1 win. Hawkeye first baseman Mike Best drilled an 0-2 pitch past left field that broke a scoreless tie in the fourth. In the next inning, Kyle Thousand cleared the fence in left field for another Iowa two-run homer.
MSU's best chance to get back in the game came in bottom of the fifth with one out and the bases loaded. The Spartans could only manage one run on a groundout, however, as Travis Gulick, the Spartan leader in eight offensive categories, popped up to shortstop to end the inning and the threat.
Hawkeye starter Nathan Johnson didn't allow another runner to reach scoring position after the fifth. Johnson (4-1) went the distance for Iowa, scattering six hits with two strikeouts. Gill threw five innings in the loss.
MSU and Iowa return to action for the series finale tomorrow (Sunday, April 27) at Kobs Field beginning at 1 p.m.
GAME SUMMARIESGAME ONE R H EIowa 001 020 0- 3 4 0MSU 021 620 x- 11 13 2
WP: Day-MSU (3-6)LP: Pawelk-IOWA (1-4)
GAME TWO R H EIowa 000 220 0- 4 7 0MSU 000 010 0- 1 6 2
WP: Johnson-IOWA (4-1)LP: Gill-MSU (0-7)
