Michigan State University
0-2
Fresno State
2-0
Michigan State Topped Twice In Twinbill Saturday At Fresno State
2/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
FS 9, MSU 4 Box Score | FS 2, MSU 1 Box Score
FRESNO, Calif. -- Michigan State baseball was topped twice by Fresno State Saturday in a doubleheader, falling 9-4 in the opener, before a 2-1 pitchers' duel loss in the nightcap.
FS 9, MSU 4 Box Score 
| FS 2, MSU 1 Box Score
Senior right-hander Ethan Landon fired a career-high nine strikeouts in 6.2 IP. It was Landon's most strikeouts since six Ks last season, which also came against Fresno State and also in the second game of a doubleheader, on April 8, 2017 at Grand Rapids. It was also the second game in the three this weekend for the Spartans that a pitcher fired their career-high for strikeouts after junior Riley McCauley's 12 K outing Friday night.
Sophomore utility player Justin Antoncic led the Spartans at the plate on Saturday, going a combined 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, plus two stolen bases, while junior outfielder Dan Chmielewski was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in the night cap. Freshman infielder Ryan King was also 2-for-4 on the day with a double and a run scored.
In the opener, Fresno State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run home run by JT Aruda. The Bulldogs added three in the fourth frame on another home run, this time a three-run shot by Carter Bins. An inning later, Fresno State plated three runs on five hits with a pair of singles, two doubles and one triple, leaving two on before the frame ended with a flyout to center, but not before the home team took an 8-0 lead.
The Spartans got two back in the top of the seventh, plating a run on an RBI fielder's choice by sophomore center fielder Bryce Kelly and Antoncic scored on a wild pitch, after getting on with a single. Fresno State countered with a run in the home half of the frame with an RBI single by Arruda.
Antoncic again factored in MSU's scoring in the eighth, driving in junior third baseman Marty Bechina with a sacrifice fly.
A pair of first-year Spartans played a role in the visitors' rally in the ninth, as King led off with a double. Two batters later, junior catcher Nic Lacayo pinch hit and singled, moving King to third. With Bechina batting next, a wild pitch allowed King to score, before a groundout and flyout ended not just the rally but the game.
In the nightcap, Landon and Fresno State starting pitcher Edgar Gonzalez dueled on the mound.
After no strikeouts in the first frame, the Spartan senior hurler chalked up two strikeouts in the second inning, bookending the frame with two strikeouts around a groundout and a single. In the third and fourth frames, Landon chalked up two Ks in each inning, working around a single in each frame.
In the fifth, Landon got some nice help from his leather-flashing defense, with a nice snare of a line drive by freshman Zach Iverson at third for the first out. After a strikeout, Antoncic made a diving catch of a grounder and flipped to Landon covering the bag at first for the first 1-2-3 inning of the game for Landon and the Spartans.
Fresno State laced back-to-back one-out singles in the sixth, putting runners on the corners, before a sacrifice bunt by McCarthy Tatum plated Bins, who had the first base hit. With two outs, Fresno State's Zach Presno reached on a controversial call at first, as the umpire ruled him safe and allowing a run to score.
The Spartans cut the deficit in half with a run in the seventh, with Iverson starting the rally with a single to left, and later stealing second. Chmielewski drove in Iverson with an RBI single to right, and moved up to second on the throw. Chmielewski stole third and King followed with a walk to put Spartans at the corners with two outs, but a groundout thwarted the threat and the frame.
After a strikeout and a groundout in the top of the seventh, Landon gave way to sophomore reliever Mitchell Tyranski, for a lefty-lefty match-up with Fresno State's Zach Ashford. Tyranski made two pitches as Ashford flied out to left to end the inning
MSU got two on in the eighth after singles by Kelley and Antoncic, but the rally fizzled, and the Spartans went down in order in the top of the ninth to end the game and the doubleheader.
Michigan State and Fresno State will wrap up the three-day, four-game series with a single game on Sunday in a 1:30 p.m. ET start.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: CARVAJAL, O. (1-0)
L: Lowery, Jake (0-1)
Batting:
2B: King, Ryan 1
RBI: Kelley, Bryce 1 ; Antoncic, Justin 1
SF: Antoncic, Justin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bechina, Marty 1 ; Peterson, Bailey 1 ; Antoncic, Justin 1 ; King, Ryan 1
SB: Gleaves, Danny 2
HBP: Proctor, Adam 1
Batting:
2B: ASHFORD, Z. 1 ; BINS, C. 1 ; NOGALES, E. 1 ; BURKS, J. 1
3B: BATESOLE, K. 1
HR: BINS, C. 1 ; ARRUDA, JT 1
RBI: BATESOLE, K. 1 ; BINS, C. 4 ; ARRUDA, JT 4
Base Running:
RUNS: ASHFORD, Z. 1 ; BATESOLE, K. 3 ; DEMPSEY, N. 1 ; BINS, C. 2 ; ARRUDA, JT 1 ; BURKS, J. 1
HBP: PRESNO, Z. 2
