Michigan State University
Ohio State
Buckeyes Take Two From MSU Baseball
5/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 7, 2006
LANSING, Mich. - Ohio State (31-14, 15-8 Big Ten) took both games of Saturday's doubleheader against Michigan State (21-24, 9-14) at Oldsmobile Park. The conference-leading Buckeye offense continued it's hot-hitting in game one, downing the Spartans 12-3. MSU battled back in the nightcap, but fell short in a 6-4 final.
Ohio State put at least one run on the board in every inning but the fifth in game one, and seven Buckeyes notched multi-hit games. The bulk of the damage was done in the third, as OSU used five hits and a Spartan error to score five runs.
Recording 20 hits as a team, J.B Shuck, Matt Angle and Ronnie Bourquin each tallied three hits apiece to pace the Buckeyes. Jason Zoeller added two hits, including a solo home run in the fourth.
Ryan Basham went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Alan Cattrysse collected two hits and two RBI for the Spartans.
Cory Luebke (6-4) went the distance on the mound for OSU, striking out five in 7.0 innings pitched and allowed just three runs on 11 hits. Jeff Gerbe (4-5) was tagged with the loss.
Michigan State kept things close in game two, but Ohio State prevailed behind a big performance from its bullpen.
Tied 3-3 headed into the sixth, Ohio State took a 6-3 lead on an RBI double by Jedidiah Stephen and a two-run single through left side by Wes Schirtzinger. MSU got a run back in the bottom half of the inning when Jamey Embree singled down the left field line to score Troy Krider.
With MSU trailing by two in the seventh, Krider reached on a walk and Kyle Day singled to put the tying run on base with no outs. The Buckeyes would call on their bullpen, and Rory Meister struck out the next three batters to give OSU the 6-4 victory. It was Meister's fifth save of the season.
Josh Barrera (3-1) picked up the win for Ohio State, surrendering one run on three hits in 1.2 innings of work. Craig Brookes (1-3) took the loss for the Spartans.
Krider finished the game going 3-for-3 with double and Embree had two of the Spartans' four RBI.
Shuck again pounded out three hits, while Angle, Stephen and Chris Macke each had two.
The Spartans and Buckeyes will meet again on Sunday at Oldsmobile Park at 1:05 p.m. for the final outing of the four-game Big Ten series.
