Michigan State University
6-15, 0-2
Michigan
11-11, 2-0
Spartans Overtaken Late By Wolverines In Tight, 3-1, Contest
3/24/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State had a 1-0 lead going into the ninth inning thanks to a solid outing from senior pitcher Ethan Landon, but Michigan rallied with three runs in the top of the frame to overtake MSU, 3-1, Saturday afternoon at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
Landon tied his career-high with nine strikeouts in 8.0 IP, scattering four hits while walking three.
"Ethan competed his tail off. I feel for him, he deserved better," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I'm proud of the way everyone competed, proud of the way Ethan competed, he certainly deserved better and that's what you like to see out of your fifth-year senior leader."
With the loss, Michigan State is now 6-15 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten action, while Michigan leveled its overall record at 11-11 and moved to 2-0 in B1G play.
MSU had six hits in the game by six different players, with junior right fielder Dan Chmielewski, sophomore center fielder Justin Antoncic, junior catcher Nic Lacayo, junior third baseman Marty Bechina and senior designated hitter Chad Roskelly all collecting hits. Sophomore left fielder Bryce Kelley had the Spartans' lone RBI on a squeeze bunt in the seventh, and also swiped a base, as he now leads the Big Ten with 15 stolen bases. Antoncic and Chmielewski also had base swipes for MSU.
The Spartans threatened in the bottom of the second getting runners on first and third with two outs, but a fielder's choice on a groundout thwarted the threat.
Through the first three innings, Landon had either started or ended every frame with a strikeout, before doing both in the top of the fourth, chalking up his fifth punchout through four innings.
After a nothing strikeout in the fifth, the sixth inning ended with Lacayo throwing out Michigan's Christian Bullock trying to steal second.
The Spartans broke through in the seventh, with senior designated hitter Chad Roskelly leading off with a single. Sophomore Danny Gleaves pinch-ran for Roskelly, and moved up to second on a balk, then advanced to third after tagging up on a flyout by sophomore second baseman Bailey Peterson. Sophomore outfielder Bryce Kelley then squeeze bunted and Gleaves dove into home and slid under the tag of Michigan catcher Brock Keener for a 1-0 Spartan lead.
Landon came out to start the ninth, but after a single and a walk, sophomore reliever Mitchell Tyranski came on. UM's Blake Nelson reached and moved up to second on an error, and a run scored on the play to level it up. After a strikeout, Miles Lewis laid down a squeeze bunt and two runs scored to give the visiting Wolverines a 3-1 lead.
The Spartans got one on in the second, but couldn't get a runner to second to end the game.
MSU and UM wrap up their home-and-away series on B1G opening weekend back in Ann Arbor on Sunday, March 25 at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tribucher, William (2-2)
L: Landon, Ethan (0-4)
Batting:
RBI: Lewis, Miles 2
SH: Lewis, Miles 1 ; Schmidt, Matthew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bullock, Christan 1 ; Engelmann, Jonathan 1 ; Nelson, Blake 1
SB: Thomas, Ako 1 ; Engelmann, Jonathan 1
CS: Bullock, Christan 1
Batting:
RBI: Kelley, Bryce 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gleaves, Danny 1
SB: Kelley, Bryce 1 ; Chmielewski, Dan 1 ; Antoncic, Justin 1
HBP: Antoncic, Justin 1
