Spartans Topped By Purple Eagles Sunday, 12-10

March 18, 2018

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State was topped by Niagara in a wild, back-and-forth contest, 12-10, Sunday afternoon at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.

Niagara 12, MSU 10 Box Score

The Spartans and Purple Eagles split their four-game weekend series, alternating wins all weekend. MSU is now 6-12 on the season, while Niagara is 4-10. This weekend was the first meeting between the teams since 1988 and Niagara's first visit to East Lansing since 1917. With this weekend's results, the Spartans now lead the all-time series, 5-2.

"I'm disappointed with today's game and the series overall," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "We had some opportunities but we didn't play very clean baseball today defensively, we didn't pitch it well today. We need to get a lot better."

Senior first baseman Zack McGuire went 3-for-4 with five RBI including a two-run home run in the second inning to lead the MSU offense. Junior right fielder Dan Chmielewski and freshman shortstop Ryan King had identical stat lines, both going 2-for-4, with two runs scored and one RBI.

Down 12-7 entering the ninth, the Spartans tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, scoring three runs and bringing the tying run to the plate with two outs, but the rally came up short to end the game.

"I like the way we competed today. We gave ourselves a chance in the bottom of the ninth, got the tying run to the plate, and guys have done that all year long, so that was good to see; guys didn't quit. It's a good character group of guys and they keep fighting and keep competing for Michigan State, so I'll go to compete with those guys any day of the week," Boss said.

Only six of Niagara's 12 runs were earned, as MSU's pitching yielded 12 hits, while making three errors defensively.

"It's disappointing in how we played defensively all weekend, and today especially with our pitching. We went to the bullpen and we didn't throw many strikes out of the bullpen, we got behind in the count and had to really give in to their hitters," Boss said.

In the top of the first, sophomore left fielder Bryce Kelley chased down a bounding ball down the left field line and fired a frozen rope to junior second baseman Royce Ando to nail Greg Cullen trying to stretch a single into a double for the third out.

The Spartans got on the board in the home half of the second with McGuire sending one over the wall in right field and into the Red Cedar River for a two-run home run and an early 2-0 MSU lead.

The Purple Eagles leveled the score at 2-2 in the top of the fourth, loading the bases without any outs, and pushing across a pair of runs before the Spartans could get out of the jam. The damage was limited by an out at the plate with a Niagara runner trying to score on a wild pitch, but senior catcher Will Salter quickly got to the ball and threw to sophomore starting pitcher Mike Mokma for the tag. Mokma then chalked up a strikeout to end the inning and thwart the threat.

Ando sparked a Spartan rally in the bottom of the fourth with a walk and moved up to third on a single by freshman third baseman Zach Iverson. After a strikeout, McGuire drove Ando in with a groundout to the pitcher and gave MSU a 3-2 lead.

The Spartan advantage was short-lived as the Purple Eagles plated two runs in the top of the fifth with a two-run home run by Trevor McCauley for a 4-3 lead.

MSU countered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth, with Kelley leading off by reaching on an error. Chmielewski followed with an RBI triple down the left field line, plating Kelley. Sophomore center fielder Justin Antoncic drove in Chmielewski with a sacrifice squeeze bunt and putting the home team ahead, 5-4.

Again Michigan State's lead was short-lived as Niagara plated a run in the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth to go up 8-5.

McGuire drove in Iverson and King with a single up the middle in the bottom of the eighth, pulling MSU within 8-7. However, the slim margin became a large gap as the Purple Eagles plated four runs off three hits, capitalizing on an intentional walk and a hit-by-pitch, in the top of the ninth for a 12-7 lead.

The Spartans tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, with two sacrifice flies by Antoncic and King, and senior infielder Kory Young scoring on a wild pitch, but the rally came up short to end the game.

Michigan State wraps up its five-game homestand to open the home portion of the schedule on Wednesday, March 21, hosting Central Michigan at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field. First pitch is slated for 3:05 p.m.

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Team Stats

Zack McGuire

Dan Chmielewski

Ryan King

Bryce Kelley

Players Mentioned

Royce Ando

Justin Antoncic

Dan Chmielewski

Zach Iverson

Bryce Kelley

Ryan King

Zack McGuire

Mike Mokma

Will Salter

Kory Young