Michigan State University
Penn St
Spartan Baseball Slams Penn State, 13-8
5/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 16, 2003
LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team continued its offensive surge late in the season as it downed Penn State, 13-8, on a season-high 20 hits Friday night (May 16) before 1,102 at Oldsmobile Park. MSU improved to 20-32 (9-17 Big Ten) for the season, while PSU dropped to 24-25 (15-14 BT). The Spartans have now collected 31 runs and 54 hits in their last three games.
The Spartans jumped on Penn State early, scoring 13 runs and collecting 19 hits in the first five innings of the game, including four runs in the third and three in the first and fifth. Every Spartan in the lineup registered a hit and seven had at least two. Brett Wattles (Sr., Rochester) led the way with four hits and three RBI, while Randy Ortiz (Sr., Rochester Hills) produced two hits and four RBI. Alan Cattrysse (Fr., Chatham, Ontario) and Erik Morris (So., Orchard Lake) had three hits each and Morris extended his career-best hitting streak to 15 games.
Bryan Gale (Jr., Decatur) earned his seventh victory of the year in six innings of work. Gale brought a no-hitter into the fourth inning, but Penn State rocked him for eight runs on eight hits in the frame to tie the game at 8-8. Gale (7-6) settled down after the big inning and retired six of his next seven batters.
Patrick Gill (Sr., Grandville) came in relief for Gale in the seventh and picked up his first career save. Gill pitched three scoreless innings and struck out two while only allowing one base runner. Besides the fourth inning explosion for Penn State, the Lions were held to only one hit the entire game.
Michigan State and Penn State return to action for a doubleheader at Kobs Field beginning at 1 p.m. MSU's six seniors will be honored between games as a part of Senior Day festivities.
GAME SUMMARY R H EPSU 000 800 000- 8 9 2MSU 314 230 00x- 13 20 2
WP: Gale-MSU (7-6)LP: Farrell-PSU (6-3)SV: Gill-MSU (1)
