Late Rally Sinks Spartans

Tuesday, May 13

Detroit, Mich.

7:05 PM

Michigan State University

26-24

Central Michigan

33-20

Michigan State

Central Michigan

Jake Lowery pitched 3 2/3 innings in relief on Tuesday.

5/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 13, 2014

Box Score

DETROIT - A six-run eighth inning gave Central Michigan a 7-4 victory over the Michigan State baseball team on Tuesday night at Comerica Park in Detroit. With the Spartans leading, 2-1, the Chippewas sent 10 batters to the plate in the eighth, scoring six runs, four of which were unearned.

Reliever Anthony Misiewicz issued a leadoff walk to Pat MacKenzie in the bottom of the eighth and Tyler Huntley followed with an RBI double down the right field line to tie the game. An error and then a fielder's choice RBI by Regnier gave CMU the lead 3-2.

Morgan Oliver added a two-RBI single and then a two-RBI triple by Regnier made it 7-2.

"It was a tough night for us. We lost another close ballgame as we let it get away from us in the eighth," said MSU head coach Jake Boss. "It's very disappointing. We had opportunities to make plays and didn't get it done."

The Spartans (26-24) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a two-RBI double by Ryan Richardson. With Joel Fisher on first via a one-out walk, Ryan Krill laced a ball toward first baseman Zack Fields. Fields picked up the ball and threw to second base in an attempt to get Fisher, but the throw was low and both runners were safe. Richardson followed with his two-run double into the gap in left center field to make it 2-0 Spartans.

Michigan State starting pitcher Chase Rihtarchik didn't give up a hit until Fields got a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth that plated Nick Regnier to make the score 2-1. After another single gave CMU runners on first and second, Jake Lowery took over on the mound and got a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

The Chippewas (33-20) put pressure on the Spartans again in the fifth with three singles, but a pickoff at first and a ground out to Justin Hovis at third base got the Spartans out of the inning.

Lowery tossed a 1-2-3 sixth and got out of the seventh with a double play after giving up a one-out single.

MSU added two in the top of the ninth on three singles from Johnny Nate, Cam Gibson, and Anthony Cheky. Nate went first-to-third on the Gibson single and scored when the throw from the outfield got by the third baseman. Cheky then knocked in Gibson on the following at-bat with a single to center.

Misiewicz took the loss to fall to 2-7, while CMU starter Adam Aldred got the win. He tossed 6 1/3 innings allowing two runs off two hits.

The Spartans will next travel to Penn State for their final regular-season series which will begin Thursday night.