Michigan State University
Toledo
MSU Baseball Drops 9-7 Decision At Toledo
3/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2005
TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo scored eight runs over a three-inning span and held off a late Michigan State comeback, defeating the Spartans, 9-7, Tuesday, March 29, at UT's Scott Park.
Michigan State (8-10) opened the scoring in the top of the second, taking an early 2-0 lead. Senior first baseman Erik Morris (Orchard Lake, Mich.) reached on a throwing error and advanced to third on a single by freshman right fielder Tony Clausen (Jenison, Mich.). Both runners later scored on back-to-back RBI infield groundouts from sophomore catcher Sean Walker (Round Lake, Ill.) and junior third baseman Alan Cattrysse (Chatham, Ontario). In the bottom of the second, Toledo came back with a three-run rally to take a 3-2 lead, highlighted by RBI singles by sophomore Joel Visser and senior Matt Ruth.
Morris tied the game for MSU at 3-3 in the third inning after posting a two-out, RBI single to right center, scoring sophomore shortstop Troy Krider (Coldwater, Mich.), who opened the inning with an infield single. UT retook the lead at 6-3 in the bottom of the third on Visser's three-run homer to right field off MSU reliever Chris Toepper (Portage, Mich.).
The Rockets (7-13) added two more runs in the fourth inning on junior Jason Watson's two-out home run to left field to increase their lead to 8-3. The Spartans cut the deficit in half in the sixth inning after Morris walked to start the frame and later scored on wild pitch.
State scored another run in the seventh inning to cut Toledo's lead to 8-5. Krider, who led off the seventh with a single, scored on a run-scoring single by Clausen. Sophomore Ryan Laude's RBI-infield single helped UT jump its lead back to four in the bottom of the seventh.
The Spartans made it 9-7 with two runs in the eighth inning. Junior pinch hitter Jamey Embree (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and sophomore center fielder Adam Tripp (Saugus, Calif.) began the rally with a single and a double, respectively, to lead off the inning. Krider scored Embree from third on the next play with a groundout to second base and two batters later, sophomore left fielder Ryan Basham (Lowell, Ind.) plated Tripp with an RBI double to left center.
Visser led Toledo offensively, going 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI. Laude hit a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Sophomore Greg Gompf (3-0) earned the win for the Rockets after allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits in five innings of work.
Krider (2-for-5, 2 runs, RBI), Basham (2-for-4, RBI) and Clausen (2-for-4, run, RBI) each tallied two hits for the Spartans. Red-shirt sophomore John Dwan (1-1) took the loss for Michigan State, allowing three runs on two hits in one inning of work.
Michigan State hosts Wayne State in its 2005 home opener at Kobs Field on Wednesday, March 30, at 2 p.m.
