Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Northwestern
Baseball Stumbles In Series Opener With Northwestern
5/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 21, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team (30-23, 17-12 Big Ten) lost to Northwestern (25-26-1, 13-16), 3-0, on Friday afternoon at Kobs Field in East Lansing. The start of the game was delayed 45 minutes by severe rain showers that hit mid-Michigan in the early afternoon. When the contest finally started, Michigan State was unable to muster much of an offensive attack, suffering just their fourth shutout of the season. The series resumes with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, with the Spartan senior class of 2004 being recognized between contests.
Northwestern scored all the runs it needed in the second inning. Jon Mikrut was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a groundout and came around to score on a Anthony Wycklendt single.The Wildcats would add single runs in the fifth and sixth inning.
Michigan State did not get its first hit until Oliver Wolcott (So., Plymouth, Mich.) reached on a bunt single in the fourth. The Spartans' only real threat came in the bottom of the ninth inning as back-to-back one-out singles from Erik Morris (Jr., Orchard Lake, Mich.) and Wolcott put runners on first and second base. One out later, James Moreno (Sr., Holt, Mich.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Northwestern lefthander J.A. Happ, however, struck out Sean Walker (Round Lake, Ill.) to complete the shutout.
In nine innings, Happ struck out 10 Spartan batters to improve to 6-3 on the year. He allowed just five hits and two walks on the afternoon. Bryan Gale (Decatur, Mich.) took the loss for Michigan State, falling to 4-4. In seven innings, Gale allowed three runs, two earned, on eight hits, while striking out five Wildcats.
