Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Purdue
Purdue Sweeps Doubleheader From MSU Baseball
4/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 24, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Michigan State baseball team had trouble getting untracked offensively all day as the Spartans (19-18, 7-8 Big Ten) dropped a doubleheader Saturday at Purdue (19-17, 9-6). The Boilermakers earned a 5-0 victory in the opening game, before holding on for a 6-3 win in game two.
Michigan State failed to take advantage of opportunities in the first game, stranding eight runners and hitting into three double plays in a 5-0 loss. MSU had five hits, five walks and a hit batter in seven innings, but couldn't get a runner across home plate.
Dan Sattler threw five shutout innings for Purdue to improve to 4-3, while Jason Driscoll pitched the final two frames to pick up his second save. Sattler allowed four hits and four walks in his five innings while striking out four, and Driscoll allowed only one hit and one walk.
Jeff Gerbe (Shelby Twp., Mich.) went 3.2 innings for MSU, giving up three runs on six hits, two walks and three hit batters while being saddled with the loss, dropping his record to 2-4.
Purdue jumped on top in the bottom of the second, getting to Gerbe for three runs on three hits. A bases loaded double by Mitch Koester plated the first two runs, and an infield single by Mike Coles brought home the third run.
MSU had a chance to get back in the game in the top of the third, drawing two walks to start the inning. But Oliver Wolcott (Plymouth, Mich.) struck out, and Travis Gulick (East Lansing, Mich.) grounded into a double play to end the threat.
Michigan State put two more runners on base in the fourth, when James Moreno (Holt, Mich.) doubled with one out, and Ryan Basham (Lowell, Ind.) followed with a walk. But Sean Walker (Round Lake, Ill.) struck out, and after a wild pitch advanced both runners, David Miller (Whitehall, Mich.) flew out to center to end the inning.
Back-to-back one-out singles by Alan Cattrysse (Chatham, Ontario) and Wolcott gave MSU another chance in the fifth, but Gulick struck out, and Morris hit into a fielder's choice.
In the sixth, Moreno walked and advanced to third on a one-out single by Walker, but Miller grounded into a double play. The Boilermakers followed with two insurance runs in the bottom of the inning, and MSU went down in order in the seventh to end the game.
In the second game, MSU didn't get its first baserunner until Troy Krider (Coldwater, Mich.) bunted for a hit with two outs in the sixth. By then, Purdue had already collected five runs off MSU starter Craig Brookes (Naperville, Ill.), who lasted just 1.2 innings and allowed six hits and a walk. Brookes fell to 2-4 after suffering the loss.
Dan Noble (Troy, Mich.), who had thrown just one inning all season, entered in relief in the second, and worked the final 4.1 innings, allowing just a third-inning run, only one hit and three walks.
Meanwhile, MSU didn't get through to Purdue starter Brian Karpel until the fifth inning, when Walker blasted a long home run over the fence in left center.
After another 1-2-3 inning in the sixth, MSU made things interesting in the seventh. Gulick opened the inning with a double to left, and scored when Purdue catcher Spencer Ingaldson thew the ball away after an infield single by Erik Morris (Orchard Lake, Mich.). After Moreno walked, Trae Dauby relieved Karpel. Walker followed by lacing a single to left, loading the bases and bringing the tying run to the plate. Miller then lined a shot to right field, but Purdue's Andy Dahl made a lunging over-the-shoulder catch, as Morris scored on the sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 6-3. Basham then grounded into yet another double play to end the game.
Karpel allowed three earned runs on four hits and a walk in six-plus innings of work to improve to 3-2, while Dauby picked up his fourth save and second of the series.
Walker was the only MSU player to have a multi-hit game during the doubleheader, as he belted two hits in each game, including his fifth home run of the season.
Michigan State and Purdue will play the final game of the four-game set tomorrow (Sunday, April 25), in a game that has been moved up an hour to 12 p.m. Central time due to the threat of rain later in the afternoon.
