Jake Boss Wins 200th Game With Ninth-Inning Comeback

Sunday, March 8

Conway, S.C.

1:00 PM

Michigan State University

6-7

Coastal Carolina

9-6

Michigan State

Coastal Carolina

3/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 8, 2015

Box Score

CONWAY, SOUTH CAROLINA - The Michigan State baseball team scored two runs in the ninth inning to come back and beat Coastal Carolina, 6-5 on Sunday afternoon in Conway, S.C. Trailing 5-4 entering the ninth, the Spartans manufactured two runs to erase their second deficit of the day and improve to 6-7 on the year. It was a milestone victory for head coach Jake Boss, as he now has 200 wins as head coach of the Spartan baseball team.

"It is just an honor to be here at Michigan State and to be able to put that uniform and it is not something we take it lightly," said head coach Jake Boss. "I don't think any of our players take it lightly. It is something that we are really proud of the program that we have built here and hopefully we can keep it rolling. It is just an honor to represent Michigan State."

Chad Roskelly got the rally started in the ninth with a leadoff walk. Ryan Krill then got the job done with a sac bunt that moved Roskelly into scoring position for pinch hitter Brandon Hughes. Hughes smacked a base hit back up the middle that scored Roskelly to tie the game, 5-5.

The Spartans still had a runner on with nobody out and weren't done. Hughes proceeded to steal second and then scoot to third after the throw sailed into the outfield. After a Dan Durkin walk, senior Anthony Cheky stepped to the plate with a chance to give MSU the lead. Cheky hit a soft ground ball to first and Hughes took off on contact. By the time first baseman Kevin Woodall stepped on first, it was too late for a play at the plate, and the Spartans took a 6-5 lead.

"I think our guys showed some character today," Boss said. "We were down early in the first weekend of the season and showed character there as well in a good comeback win and it was a lot of the same today. A big at bat to start the inning and we executed on the sac bunt. Brandon did a great job, not only with the base hit, but then the stolen base and putting pressure on their guys to make plays; same with Cheky's ground ball. That is the stuff we keep preaching."

The bullpen continued to be a bright spot for the Spartans, highlighted by Joe Mockbee, who pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in relief and struck out six, keeping the Chanticleer's lead in reach and the comeback chances alive.

Senior Jeff Kinley came on in the eighth to record the last out, earning him the decision in the contest and his second win of the season. Kinley sent down Coastal Carolina in order in the ninth, capped off with a deep fly ball to center that was caught by Cheky on the warning track to end the game.

"Mockbee was lights out," Boss said. "For a while there, he was unhittable. He threw really well and he struggled there in the eighth and that is why Jeff is our closer. We brought him in and I told him after the game that I am glad he is on our team because he is as good as there is in my opinion."

It was the bottom of the order that came through for Coastal, as their 7-8-9 hitters recorded all five RBIs on the afternoon. The Chanticleers gained an early lead in the second, starting with a two-RBI single to left from Anthony Marks with guys on second and third. Nine-hitter Al Molina stepped up to the plate next and hit an RBI double to left-center to put Coastal up 3-0 to start the game.

The Spartans responded the very next half inning with three runs of their own, starting with a leadoff double to right off the bat of Cheky that landed just inside the line and out of the reach of David Parrett. Cam Gibson then smacked an RBI triple to center field to plate the first run of the game for the Spartans. Ryan Richardson cut the lead to one when he reached base on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze. After Richardson went first-to-third on a Mark Weist single, Blaise Salter tied the game with a sac fly and his fifth RBI of the season.

Weist led the way for the Spartan offense, going 4-for-4 on the afternoon with three singles and a double.

"Mark had a big day," Boss said. "The guys in the middle of our order have to be good if we are going to be good. Mark is a good hitter and came up in some big situations and really executed. Offensively, hopefully we took some steps forward today." The Chanticleers regained the lead again in the fourth on a two-run shot to left on David Parrett's third homer of the season.

In the top half of the seventh, Roskelly sparked some life with his bat when he blasted a two-run home run to left for his second of the year, cutting the deficit to one and putting MSU in position to rally in the ninth. Roskelly also gunned down two of three would-be base stealers in the game.

The Spartans finish the Coastal Carolina invitational 3-1 and return to action on Wednesday in Greenville, S.C., vs. Clemson at 7 p.m.