Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Northwestern
Early Offensive Flury Helps Baseball Take Series Finale
5/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 23, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team (32-24, 19-13) scored five runs in the first inning en route to taking an early 8-0 lead and held on for an 8-7 victory over Northwestern (26-28-1, 14-18) on Sunday afternoon at Kobs Field in East Lansing. Travis Gulick (Jr., East Lansing) and Scott Koerber (Sr., Harper Woods) each hit two-run home runs in the first to key the offensive attack as the Spartans earned a split in the regular-season ending four-game series. Michigan State will return to action on Wednesday, May 26, in the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis.
Erik Morris (Jr., Orchard Lake) led off the bottom of the first inning with a single and came around to score on Gulick's 10th home run of the season. James Moreno (Sr., Holt) walked and later scored on Koerber's home run. For Koerber it was his fifth home run of the year and the first since April 18. Koerber had missed 19 games since suffering a knee injury on April 23, before returning to action in Saturday's doubleheader with Northwestern. The Spartans added a fifth run as Ryan Basham (Fr., Lowell, Ind.) doubled and scored on an Alan Cattrysse (So., Chatham, Ontario) RBI single.
Michigan State added two runs in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on a fielder's choice and a throwing error. In the fifth, the Spartans increased their lead to 8-0 as Cattrysse drove in Sean Walker (Fr., Round Lake, Ill.) with a sacrifice fly.
On the mound, MSU starting righthander Craig Brookes (Fr., Naperville, Ill.) seemed to be having his way on the mound, limiting Northwestern to just four hits through five innings. The Wildcats broke through in the sixth, starting with a two-run home run from Jon Mikrut. A single and double followed, placing runners at second and third with no outs. Brookes recovered by forcing a ground out and two fly balls that allowed two more runs to score, but ended the threat of a bigger inning.
Brookes started the seventh inning, but gave up a solo home run to Matt Brimmer, which cut MSU's lead to 8-5. Jeremy Dow (So., Sunfield) entered the game and got out of a bases loaded situation by striking out NU's Mike Phelps after a lengthy at bat. In the top of the eighth inning, Dow struck out the first batter, but followed with a walk and a hit batter, sending MSU head coach Ted Mahan to the bullpen once again. Jon Kowalski (Jr., Sterling Heights) entered the game and got the first batter on a groundout, advancing the runners to second and third. NU's Dan Pohlman singled to drive in two runs and cut the Spartan lead to 8-7. Kowalski, however, was able to entice the next batter into a ground out to retire the side.
In the top of the ninth, Kowalski retired the side in order. The third out came as Phelps laced a ground ball down the first base line. Morris dove to his left to make a diving stop and tossed the ball to Kowalski to end the contest. Brookes picked up the win to improve to 5-4. In six-plus innings, Brookes allowed five earned runs on nine hits. Kowalski picked up his second save of the year, allowing just one hit in 1.2 innings. Northwestern starter George Kontos (3-5) took the loss, allowing eight runs, seven earned, on nine hits. Kontos and Wildcat reliever Ryan Myers combined to strike out 12 Spartan batters.
