MSU Defeats Michigan at Comerica Park, 4-2

Tuesday, April 14

6:35 PM

Michigan State University

19-15

Michigan

21-15

Michigan

Michigan State

4/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 14, 2015

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DETROIT, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team topped rival Michigan, 4-2, on Tuesday night at Comerica Park in the first meeting between the programs since 2013. The Spartans improved to 19-15 on the year with the victory, while the Wolverines dropped to 21-15.

"I want to thank the Detroit Tigers as well as our entire staff at Michigan State for making tonight a fun and memorable night and one that our guys are going to remember for a long time," said MSU Head Coach Jake Boss Jr.

"I thought our guys played well. We had some big at-bats. Ryan's [Krill] seeing the ball well right now and we got some pitching performances that I thought were pretty good out. Alex [Troop], Joe Mockbee had a big hold there in the middle of the game and [Jeff] Kinley was lights out. Good night all the way around."

MSU got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the fourth as Ryan Krill doubled down the right field line to lead off the inning and came around to score on a two-out single to right field by Ryan Richardson.

Michigan answered in the top half of the fifth with two runs on three hits against Spartan starter Alex Troop. Following a hit batter and a single to start the inning, Travis Maezes came through with a two-run single to right to put the Wolverines ahead, 2-1.

MSU regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Krill delivered a two-out double to score Chad Roskelly and Kory Young.

Michigan put runners on first and third with one out in the top of the seventh, but reliever Joe Mockbee got Maezes to ground into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to escape the jam.

"We dodged a bullet there and kind of got lucky. Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good I guess," Boss said.

Michigan mounted another rally in the eighth after back-to-back walks by Mockbee put runners on first and second with two outs. Closer Jeff Kinley entered and struck out pinch-hitter Kevin White to preserve the 3-2 lead.

The Spartans added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as Mark Weist led off the inning with a double and later scored on a wild pitch.

Kinley retired the Wolverines in order in the top of the ninth to pick up his second save of the season.

Troop allowed two runs on seven hits over five innings to improve to 3-2 on the year. The freshman southpaw struck out three and walked one.

The MSU offense finished with eight hits for the game. Krill, who was named the Big Ten Player of the Week earlier on Tuesday, led the way for the Spartans at the plate with two hits and two RBIs.

Michigan State will return to Comerica Park tomorrow night to battle Central Michigan (24-12), with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.