Michigan State University
SEMO
Baseball Gets Win in Extra Innings, 8-7
3/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 5, 2010
STARKVILLE, Miss. - After leading most of the game, the Michigan State baseball team rallied to tie the score in the eighth and 10th innings and eventually topped Southeast Missouri, 8-7, in the 11th on Friday in the first game of its eight-game spring trip. With the win, the Spartans are off to their best start since 2002 when they also went 5-2 to start the season.
Bo Felt gave MSU the win with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th inning. After Brandon Eckerle, Jonathan Roof and Jeff Holm all reached base with one out, Felt picked up his second RBI of the day with a deep drive to left field.
"I thought our guys hung in there well today," said MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. "We faced some adversity, but it's another step in learning how to win. I'm proud of them for getting job done. I wasn't particularly pleased with how we played, but it's nice to get the win against a very good Southeast Missouri team."
With the Spartans trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, a triple by Holm tied the score and then a sacrifice fly by Felt scored Holm to give MSU its first lead, 2-1.
The Green and White followed up in the fifth inning with three more runs, courtesy of Eli Boike. After back-to-back singles by Torsten Boss and John Martinez, Boike cleared the bases with a three-run shot to right-center field to make the score 5-1.
A.J. Achter started on the hill for MSU and gave up just two runs through seven complete innings. The righty also struck out five.
"A.J. threw well," said Boss. "We had him on a pitch count and he probably deserved to stay in longer because he did a really nice job."
The Redhawks (4-4) got to the Spartans in the eighth frame and took the lead with four runs off three hits after Achter gave way to reliever Trey Popp.
Though he went just 1-for-5 on the day, the Spartans' Andrew Carpenter got the first of his two critical RBIs in the bottom of the eighth when he retied the game at six with a run-scoring double.
Neither team threatened to score in the ninth and the game went to extra innings where the Redhawks took their third one-run lead of the day with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Blake Slattery.
A costly throwing error by Redhawk first baseman Ky Burgess in the bottom of the 10th allowed Felt to advance to third where Carpenter picked up his second RBI of the day on a groundout to knot the game at seven.
Kurtis Frymier, who came on in relief of Popp in the eighth inning, earned his first victory of the year after pitching four complete innings. Frymier gave up one earned run off four hits and struck out one.
Reliever Michael Adamson (0-1) suffered the loss for the Redhawks.
MSU will next take on Mississippi State at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
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