Northwestern Rallies For 7-6 Win Over Baseball

Friday, April 10

East Lansing, Mich.

3:05 PM

Michigan State University

16-15, 0

Northwestern

9-22, 0

Northwestern

Michigan State

Ryan Krill went 4-for-5 in Friday's loss.

4/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 10, 2015

Box Score

EAST LANSING - The Michigan State baseball team dropped a 7-6 decision to Big Ten foe Northwestern on Friday Afternoon at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Spartans as they fell to 16-15 and 2-5 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats improved to 9-22 and 3-4 in conference play.

Northwestern grabbed an early lead in the top of the first inning against MSU starter Cam Vieaux. Following a fielding error by MSU, the Wildcats were able to string together a pair of base hits to bring home the first run of the ballgame.

The Spartans answered with a run in the bottom half of the first with a single and a pair of walks against Northwestern starter Brandon Magallones.

MSU picked up three runs in the bottom of the second on a pair of two-out base hits by Ryan Krill and Blaise Salter to take a 4-1 lead.

After three scoreless innings, the Wildcats got a run back in the top of the sixth on a solo home run to right field by Cody Stevens. The Spartans responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double by Cam Gibson, who would come around to score on a single to center by Krill to make it 6-2.

Northwestern would take advantage of MSU's third fielding error of the game and erupt for five unearned runs off six hits in the top of the eighth inning against reliever Joe Mockbee.

Despite four baserunners over the final two innings, the Spartans were unable to push across the tying run.

Joe Mockbee (4-2) took the hard-luck loss for MSU, allowing five unearned runs in the eighth inning. Magallones (3-2) worked seven innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits, to earn the win on the mound. Jake Stolley closed things out with two shutout innings out of the bullpen to pick up his fourth save of the season.

Krill paced the Spartan offense on the day, tying a career-high with four hits to go along with two RBIs. Brandon Hughes went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Gibson added two hits, two runs and an RBI out of the leadoff spot.

Krill nearly tied the game for the Spartans with runners on first and second in the top of the eighth. Krill drilled an offering from Stolley right back at the pitcher who somehow corralled the ball, starting an inning-ending double play.

"Ryan [Krill] had a good day today, hit a ball hard there in the eighth and was just unlucky," said MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. "Tomorrow's a big day. We need to play better."

MSU will return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon for game two of the three-game weekend set with the Wildcats. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. at McLane Baseball Stadium.