Michigan State University
Northwestern (DH)
Spartan Baseball Splits With Northwestern
4/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 6, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State and Northwestern fought off chilly conditions and split a doubleheader Sunday afternoon (April 6) at Kobs Field on the MSU campus. MSU took game one, 3-2, while the Wildcats shut out the Spartans in game two, 2-0. The Spartans now stand at 7-18 (1-5 Big Ten) for the season.
Bryan Gale (Jr., Decatur) threw a four-hit complete game in the front end of the doubleheader and struck out a season-high eight batters. Gale's effort almost came up short however, as the Spartans trailed 2-1 after five and a half innings. The Spartans rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth, led by a bases loaded single by James Moreno (Jr., Holt) that went through the left side of the infield to score two runs.
Brett Wattles (Sr., Rochester) led off the sixth with a bloop hit over third base and advanced to second on an Erik Morris (So., Orchard Lake) single. Travis Gulick's (So., East Lansing) sacrifice moved the runners to second and third, and then the Wildcats intentionally walked Brady Burrill (Sr., Newhall, Calif.) to load the bases for Moreno.
Northwestern's only runs of the game came on a two-run homer by Brandon Ackley in the second.
After the home run, Gale (3-4) retired the next 10 Wildcat batters before a Spartan error put a runner on in the sixth. Another Spartan error led to runners on first and third with only one out, but Gale got out of the jam with a popout and a groundout to end the Wildcat scoring threat. Northwestern put runners on second and third with two outs in the seventh before Gale got Wildcat leadoff batter Eric Roeder to ground out at shortstop to end the game.
In game two, MSU starter Tim Day (So., West Chester, Ohio) pitched a brilliant three-hit complete game while not allowing any earned runs, but Northwestern left-hander J.A. Happ came away with the win as he shut out the Spartans on eight strikeouts in the Wildcats 2-0 game two win.
Northwestern (10-10, 3-3 Big Ten) scored unearned runs in the second and third innings. Jon Mikrut scored on a Spartan error in the outfield in the second while Happ crossed the plate on a Mark Ori RBI single in the third.
Day struck out eight, a season high, and retired 10 consecutive batters in a span from the end of the third to the beginning of the sixth. Happ was just as effective, as he only allowed two hits and four base runners the entire game. The Spartans mounted one threat as they loaded the bases in the second with two outs, but a groundout ended the inning.
MSU returns to action for a single game at Eastern Michigan Wednesday, April 9 at 5 p.m.
GAME ONE SUMMARY R H ENW 020 000 0- 2 4 0MSU 001 002 x- 3 8 3
WP: Gale-MSU (3-4)LP: Konecny-NW (2-3)
GAME TWO SUMMARY R H ENW 011 000 0- 2 3 0MSU 000 000 0- 0 2 2
WP: Happ-NW (4-2)LP: Day-MSU (2-5)
