Spartans Outlast Notre Dame, 9-6, in 12 Innings

Tuesday, April 28

Notre Dame, Ind.

7:05 PM

Michigan State University

26-17

Notre Dame

28-15

Michigan State

Notre Dame

4/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 28, 2015

Box Score

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Michigan State baseball team picked up a big road win on Tuesday night, topping Notre Dame, 9-6, in 12 innings. The win upped the Spartans' record to 26-17 while Notre Dame dropped to 28-16.

The Spartans rallied from a 4-1 deficit and eventually took a 6-4 lead before Notre Dame tied it the game with solo runs in the seventh and ninth innings.

Mark Weist snapped the 6-6 tie with a leadoff home run in the 12th. Weist turned on 3-0 pitch from Notre Dame's Evy Ruibal and crushed it high over the fence in left field.

Ryan Richardson's second triple of the game kept the Spartan momentum going and Brandon Hughes cashed in with a another home run. Like Weist, Hughes blasted a pitch over the left field wall for a two-run shot to give MSU a 9-6 lead.

"Our guys showed a lot of character tonight," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr., said. "There were multiple opportunities for them to pack it in after giving up four runs in the first inning and then losing the lead late. We stayed resilient, chipped away and eventually got it done."

Walter Borkovich, who came into the game in the eighth, earned the win. Borkovich tossed a season-high 4.1 innings and struck out six in improving to 2-0.

"For him to give us 4.1 innings in relief in a big situation like tonight was great. I'm proud of him and it was a big win," Boss said.

A two-out Notre Dame error on a ball hit by Salter allowed the Spartans to get on the board in the top of the first, but the Fighting Irish responded with four runs in the bottom half of the fame to take a 4-1 lead. Three of the four runs came with two outs, including back-to-back RBI singles by Lane Richards and Zak Kutsulis. Richards made it 4-1 on delayed double steal of home plate.

Anthony Misiewicz replaced starter Alex Troop to get the final out of the first inning and went on to retire 10 straight. Misiewicz allowed a leadoff ground-rule double to Kyle Fiala to start the bottom of the fifth, but got out of the inning unscathed by sitting down the next three hitters.

Dan Durkin cut the Notre Dame lead in half with a two-out RBI single in the top of the fourth.

The Spartan comeback started in the top of the seventh with three consecutive singles by Chase Toth, Cam Gibson and Ryan Krill. Krill's high-chopping single to the right side scored Toth to make it 4-3. The next batter, Weist, tied the game with a sacrifice fly to deep center field.

Blaise Salter kept things going with a single and Richardson then gave the Spartans the lead for the first time. Richardson's shot to center field fell past the outstretched diving center fielder Kyle Richardson and turned into a triple, scoring both Krill and Salter to make it 6-4 MSU.

Cavan Biggio struck back for the Fighting Irish with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Misiewicz prevented any further damage, retiring the next three hitters to keep the score 6-5.

Borkovich got the final out of the eighth, but after striking out the first two hitters in the ninth, he hit Ryan Lidge, giving the Irish life. The next hitter, Robert Youngdahl doubled into the gap in left center field to tie the game, 6-6.

"Walter's stuff was so good tonight that the one pitch just got away from him there," Boss said. "He showed a lot of character because he got out of that inning and really settled in after that."

Misiewicz allowed just two hits in his 6.1 innings of work, tying the longest outing of his career. His six strikeouts were one shy of his career high.

The Spartans will host Eastern Michigan Wednesday at 3:05 p.m. at McLane Baseball Stadium.