Spartans Top Clemson, 8-6

Wednesday, March 11

Greenville, S.C.

7:00 PM

Michigan State University

7-7

Clemson

8-7

Clemson

Michigan State

Salter hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the fifth.

3/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 11, 2015

Box Score

GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Michigan State baseball team defeated Clemson, 8-6, on Wednesday night at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., and has now won four of its last five games to improve to 7-7 on the season. Blaise Salter had a dominating performance, going 4-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs and three runs scored, highlighted by a line drive three-run homer over the Green Monster in left field that put the Spartans up for good in the fifth inning.

"Good win for us," said head coach Jake Boss. "We have played Clemson a lot since I have been here. They are a good ball club and an outstanding program, very well coached, and very athletic. It is a very good win and the first time that we have gotten them since I have been here. It was good to see and I'm proud of our guys and we played a complete ballgame."

MSU fell behind three separate times early in the ballgame, starting in the first when Clemson's leadoff hitter Tyler Slaton walked and scored, but responded quickly each time. The Spartans loaded the bases in the second with no outs, but managed to push across just one run on an Anthony Cheky groundout that scored Salter.

After the Tigers took the lead in the top of the third, Michigan State answered in the bottom half of the inning with doubles from Mark Weist and Salter that tied the game up at two.

Salter's double was the 46th of his career and he is now just one away from tying the school's career record.

Clemson took its last lead of the game in the top of the fifth when a runner scored from third on a ball thrown down to second in an attempt to throw out a base runner. The Spartans erased the deficit quickly again in the bottom of the fifth when Ryan Richardson and Weist both reached base to start the inning, setting up the hot bat of Salter. The Tigers made the call to Van Horn out of the bullpen to pitch to Salter, but the senior hit a screaming line drive over the Green Monster in left to put the Spartans up, 5-3.

MSU continued to pour it on from there, adding a run in the sixth and two in the seventh to open up an 8-3 lead. Johnny Nate doubled and scored in the sixth, and freshman Brandon Hughes came up with a big two-out, two-RBI double in the seventh that plated Salter and McGuire.

Michigan State had 11 hits on the evening, and the team has now had 10-plus hits in four of its last five games.

Freshman Andrew Gonzalez made his first career start, going 4.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits. Joe Mockbee came on in relief and pitched three innings, allowing one unearned on three hits and striking out five.

"Mockbee was lights out again," said Boss. "He came in and settled things down. I thought Andrew was pretty good as well, especially for his first collegiate start. Andrew is a confident guy who is only going to get better and better. I think he learned a lot about college baseball at this level. It is a good experience for him and I would expect him to learn a lot from tonight. "There were some little things that we didn't do that cost us a run here and there, but I think Joe came in and really settled us down. He gave us three quality innings and got us to Borkovich who was really good for his two hitters."

The defense was solid all night for the Spartans in an effort to hold off Clemson. Weist made a handful of plays at third, Hughes made a timely diving play in right, and Mockbee forced Andrew Cox into a 4-6-3 double play that got MSU out of the seventh.

Clemson had one last push in the ninth facing MSU closer Jeff Kinley. Trailing by four with two outs and nobody on, the next three hitter reached base. Clemson's Tyler Krieger, who went 4-for-5, hit a bloop single to right that scored three runs and cut the lead to two. With the tying run on first, Kinley forced Reed Rohlman to hit a grounder back to the mound, ending the game.

"Kinley is the guy at the end of the game," said Boss. "We are going to win or lose with him. It got a little nerve-racking there for a bit, but Kinley is the guy that I want that ball in his hand at the end. Jeff maybe struggled a little bit and maybe was unlucky a little bit, but he's the guy that gets the ball at the end of the day."

Michigan State returns to action on Friday at 1 p.m. vs USC Upstate in the first game of the First Pitch Invitational that will take place at Fluor Field.