Baseball Sweeps Rutgers With a 6-2 Win on Sunday

Sunday, April 19

Piscataway, N.J.

1:00 PM

Michigan State University

22-16, 7-5

Rutgers

12-26-1, 5-10

Michigan State

Rutgers

4/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 19, 2015

Box Score

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey - The Michigan State baseball team completed a weekend sweep of Rutgers with a 6-2 win over the Scarlet Knights on Sunday at Bainton Field. With the victory, the Spartans are now 10-2 over their last 12 games and upped their overall record to 22-16 and 7-5 in Big Ten play.

Brandon Hughes and Blaise Salter both had three hits to lead MSU, while Hughes and Cam Gibson each drove in a pair of runs. Reliever Joe Mockbee held the Scarlet Knights scoreless in his three complete innings on the mound to move to 5-2 on the year.

For the third straight game in the series, the Spartans scored in the opening frame. With the bases loaded, Ryan Richardson drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and Hughes followed with a two-out, two-RBI base hit into center field.

Gibson made it 4-0 in the second with an RBI single through the middle. In the fourth, Gibson hit his second home run of the weekend and the team's ninth of the series to push the Spartan lead to 5-0.

"We always talk about fast starts and we were able to do it again today," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "We had some really good at-bats and executed well offensively all day with some sac bunts and sac flies. A lot of guys are continuing to see the ball very well."

Three walks and a pair of base hits got MSU starter Andrew Gonzalez into trouble in the bottom of the fourth. Rutgers got on the board with a pair of runs, but Mockbee came into the game and got the final out to strand three Scarlet Knights on base.

Mockbee combined with Walter Borkovich (1.2 innings) and Jeff Kinley (0.2 innings) to keep Rutgers off the scoreboard the rest of the way while Johnny Nate's eighth-inning sacrifice fly upped the MSU lead to 6-2.

"The bullpen was very good again today. Joe was able to get us out of a jam when he came in and got the momentum back on our side," Boss said. "Walter and Jeff did a good job late to seal it."

RU (12-26-1, 5-10) starter Gaby Rosa went six complete innings, allowing five runs off seven hits in taking the loss.

Michigan State will host Toledo on Tuesday at McLane Stadium and then travel to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan on Wednesday. Both games are scheduled for 3:05 p.m.