Troop, Salter Lead Spartans Past Toledo, 9-2

Tuesday, April 21

East Lansing, Mich.

3:05 PM

Michigan State University

23-16

Toledo

15-25

TOLEDO

Michigan State

4/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 21, 2015

Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team defeated Toledo, 9-2, on Tuesday afternoon at McLane Baseball Stadium, improving to 23-16 on the year while the Rockets fell to 15-25. Leading 2-1 in the fifth, the Spartans used a five-run inning to separate from Toledo and get the win.

The Spartans have been hot as of late and have now won seven of their last eight games and 11 of their last 13.

Alex Troop earned the win, improving to 4-2 on the year. The freshman went a season-long seven innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs while striking out a season-high eight batters.

"Alex I thought was really, really good today," said head coach Jake Boss Jr. "That's the second week in a row that he's given us a really quality start. He didn't walk anybody and had a lot of strikeouts. He did a heck of a job. He was outstanding and I think he is going to be a really good one here and it is going to be fun watching to see how his career plays out."

Eight Spartans recorded a hit in the contest and all nine hitters reached base, led by Senior Blaise Salter, who went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs, three RBIs and a walk. MSU outhit Toledo 10-6 for the game.

The Spartans jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second when Brandon Hughes drew a two-out walk and proceeded to steal second, allowing him to score on a Zack McGuire single to left.

Toledo tied things up in the fourth, starting with a leadoff double by A.J. Montoya who eventually came around to score on a two-out single that dropped in just beyond the outstretched arm of the diving leftfielder Cam Gibson.

Michigan State responded the very next half inning, sparked by a leadoff triple to right-center by Mark Weist. Salter knocked him in with a sac fly to center field to help the Spartans regain a 2-1 lead.

MSU then exploded for a five-run fifth inning, capitalizing on three walks to extend the lead to 7-1. Ryan Krill got the scoring started with a single to right that scored Connor Mohr who walked earlier in the inning. Gibson, who also walked in the inning, scored on a wild pitch before Salter knocked in two more with a double to center. Ryan Richardson capped of the inning with a single up the middle that plated Salter for his 18th RBI of the season.

"Blaise Salter had a huge at bat that broke it open for us with the big double," said Boss. "It has been workman like offensively like for the last couple of weeks. Guys have really been locked in and seeing the ball well and we've been swinging the bat well. It was another good effort by us today and a solid nine innings."

Toledo got one back in the sixth with a solo homer, but MSU canceled out the run in the bottom half of the inning with triples from Johnny Nate and Gibson that made it 8-2.

McGuire picked up his second RBI of the day in the seventh with a sac fly to right that brought the score to 9-2.

Jeff Kinley pitched two innings in relief for Troop, giving up one hit with two strikeouts.

Michigan State returns to action tomorrow at 3:05 when it takes on Western Michigan in Kalamazoo.