Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Iowa
Baseball Picks Up A Pair of Victories Against Iowa
4/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 3, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State baseball extended its win streak to eight games with a pair of wins against Iowa at Kobs Field Saturday, April 3. After opening the season with a 1-0 win against the Hawkeyes (6-15, 0-3) yesterday afternoon in an 11-inning battle to start the Big Ten schedule, the Spartans (12-10, 3-0) picked up a 5-4, nine-inning victory in game one and came out swinging in game two to win 6-3, backed by home runs from Oliver Wolcott (Plymouth, Mich.) and Ryan Basham (Lowell, Ind.).
Senior Scott Koerber (1-3) made his fifth start of the season on the mound for the Green and White, as the Spartans' leading batter looked to lead from the hill as well as the batters box. Koerber (Harper Woods, Mich.) did not allow a hit through the first two innings, striking out shortstop Jeff Gremley to open the game and fooling right fielder Nate Yoho in the second.
With just one hit through two innings, the Spartans came to the bottom of the third and Alan Cattrysse (Chatham, Ont.) and Wolcott each hit fly balls into left field. With two outs already on the scoreboard, Travis Gulick (East Lansing, Mich.) stood at the plate and took his base on balls and stole second with Koerber at the plate. The pitcher/designated hitter gained second on a two-base fielding error by L.J. Mims in center field, scoring Gulick to put the Spartans on the board. Senior third baseman James Moreno (Holt, Mich.) singled up the middle, sending Koerber home for a 2-0 advantage. David Miller walked and he and Moreno each advanced one base on a passed ball with Erik Morris at bat. Morris grounded out to the shortstop to close out the inning but the Spartans had posted two runs to take the early lead.
Iowa responded quickly in the top of the fourth when catcher Kris Welker singled through the right side and left fielder Jesse Brownell executed a textbook bunt, recording a single and advancing Welker to scoring position. Koerber proved tough, watching Yoho pop out to Troy Krider (Coldwater, Mich./DeKalb, Ind.) at shortstop and striking out Andy Cox. With two on and two outs, designated hitter Kevin Sunderman singled to left field, advancing Brownell and scoring Welker. Despite a wild pitch to Luis Andrulonis to move Sunderman to second, Koerber retired the batter to end the inning with a 2-1 lead.
State did not counter in the fourth, but put a run on the board in both the fifth and sixth innings, backed by Gulick's bomb over the left field fence on a blustery day in East Lansing that saw high winds, rain and snow flurries. The homer marked Gulick's fifth of the season and gave MSU a two-run cushion. Iowa pitcher Austin Seward came back with a vengeance, as MSU's next three hitters struck out to end the inning.
First baseman Erik Morris (Orchard Lake, Mich.) led off for the Green and White in the sixth, hitting a zinger down the left field line to take two bases before freshman catcher Kris Morris (Jenison, Mich.) ground out to third. Krider hit a fly ball into right field, giving Morris enough to take third. Just 90 feet from a three-run lead, Casey O'Rourke came in to pitch for Seward. The pitching change was not the defense the Hawkeyes were hoping for as Morris scored on a wild pitch before Cattrysse grounded out to shortstop to end the inning.
Scheduled for two seven-inning games on Big Ten doubleheader days, Iowa opened the seventh with the knowledge that they need three runs to send a second-consecutive game into extra innings. And they did just that. Mike Best singled to give Iowa a base runner before Koerber retired Sunderman for the pitcher's ninth strikeout of the afternoon, his career-high, leaving him just two outs shy of his second win of the season. Prior to his 2004 Big Ten debut, Koerber pitched a season-high five innings March 29 in a 10-4 victory against Indiana Tech.
But Andrulonis doubled to right field to send Best to third and Andy Lytle hit a fly ball to Gulick in right field. Needing just one more out, Koerber allowed his seventh hit and second run of the day when Gremley singled into left field, scoring Best and putting Andrulonis on third. With a wild pitch bringing Andrulonis in and leaving the score still in the Spartans' favor, 4-3, Adam White came to the mound to relieve Koerber, though the pitcher remained in the lineup as the designated hitter. White allowed a triple by Mims as Gremley scored to tie the game. Welker grounded out to White, leaving the potential game-winning run on third.
The bottom of the seventh saw a Hawkeye pitching change with Aaron Reasland on the mound. Wolcott, Gulick and Moreno grounded out, stranding Koerber on first after he walked. For the second-consecutive game, Iowa and Michigan State headed into extra innings.
The top of the eighth saw the Hawkeyes staring at opportunity when Jesse Brownell doubled, leading off for Iowa. With a fly out and a strikeout for two outs, Sunderman reached base on a throwing error by James Moreno, sending Brownell to third. It was not enough, as Andrulonis hit a fly ball to Cattrysse in center field to end the eighth still tied at 4-4.
State had opportunities of its own in the eighth. After Adam Tripp (Saugus, Calif.) struck out to give MSU an out, Erik Morris singled to shortstop and advanced to second on a throwing error by Reasland. Kris Morris took first on a fielder's choice when Erik Morris got caught heading for third. E.J. Daws (Bozeman, Mont.) came in to run for Kris Morris and Krider and Cattrysse both got on board with walks from Reasland to load the bases. Wolcott hit one deep into center field, but Mims made the play to end the inning with the score still stuck at 4-4.
The Hawkeyes went three-up, three-down in the ninth while Reasland opened the inning by issuing a walk to Gulick. Koerber advanced Gulick with a sacrifice bunt and with Moreno at the plate, Iowa intentionally walked him to give a chance for a forced out. Tripp struck out for the second out of the inning, but Erik Morris' RBI single to center field was all it took in the bottom of nine.
White picked up his first win of the season in Friday's series opener, throwing the final 1.2 innings, striking out two batters. He worked the magic again in Saturday's first game, striking out two in 2.1 innings of work to move to 2-0 on the year.
With the temperature nearly 15 degrees cooler since the 1 p.m. start time, Michigan State came out looking to put the second game away in seven innings. The wind had picked up, blowing dirt and debris across Kobs Field and sending storm clouds overhead.
State put a run on the board in the second when Moreno got on base with a single down the right field line and David Miller (Whitehall, Mich.) singled the opposite way to put runners on first and third. Moving to catcher for game two, Erik Morris hit a sacrifice fly into right field, scoring Moreno for an early lead and giving the Spartans' two outs after Koerber ground out to lead off. Ryan Basham singled into the left field gap, sending Miller to second. Krider hit to the middle infield, reaching first on a fielder's choice as Basham was out at second to close the inning.
The Spartans, led by sophomore pitcher Jeff Gerbe, did not allow the Hawkeyes on the board in the third but put up two of their own in the bottom of the inning. Cattrysse led off with a double to right field and Wolcott hit the second home run of his career, a deep shot over the right field fence to score two runs. Gulick singled and Koerber doubled, sending Gulick to third. Moreno grounded out, Miller flew out and Erik Morris struck out to strand two runners at the end of three.
The Hawkeyes got on the board in the fourth when, with one out, Andrulonis doubled into right field to give Iowa a base runner. Bitting walked to put two runners on and Andrulonis took third on a wild pitch from Gerbe. Andy Lytle reached first on a fielder's choice and Bitting was out at second, allowing Andrulonis to score. Gerbe picked off his second runner of the day, catching Lytle with a long lead at first and ending the inning in the Spartans' favor, 3-1.
Basham led the way in the fourth with a home run over the right field fence, as the Red Cedar River running behind the field claimed another long ball from Spartan hitters. Krider and Cattrysse hit back-to-back singles while Scott Brune relieved starter Ryan Dupic. Wolcott hit into a double play with a ground ball to shortstop and Cattrysse was out on the play, but Krider touched home plate for the second run of the inning. Gulick and Koerber were each walked and advanced when Moreno singled to third base. MSU got a bit of a favor when Miller struck out, but the pitch was wild and the senior was able to out-run the Hawkeye defense, leaving the bases loaded and sending Gulick home. Morris hit one deep into center field, but it wasn't long enough as the inning ended with the putout while the Green and White enjoyed a 6-1 lead.
The Hawkeyes made a run in the sixth, but the frigid temperature and biting wind were enough to keep the Spartans tight on defense. Andrulonis was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Bitting walked before Lytle took the first out of the inning with a ground out to Gerbe on the mound, though both base runners advanced. Gerbe struck out Gremley before Mims singled to right field, scoring both Andrulonis and Bitting. Gerbe was not done, striking out the final batter to pick up his second win of the year, 6-3.
With a hit in both games, Gulick extends his career-best hitting streak to 18 games. Gerbe's eight strikeouts is a career-high for the sophomore starter. As a team, MSU has won eight straight games, all eight wins coming at Kobs Field.
MSU returns to action Sunday, April 4 as the Spartans look for one more win and a sweep in the first weekend of Big Ten action.
