Friday, March 22
Lincoln, NE
4:05 PM ET / 3:05 PM ET
Michigan State University
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Photo by: Jeremy Fleming
Spartans Topped Twice By Huskers In Friday Twinbill
3/22/2019 11:33:00 PM | Baseball
MSU opens B1G action with pair of losses; Proctor hits HR in opener, Peterson goes 2-for-3 in nightcap.
***NOTE Schedule update: No game Saturday, game 3 moved to Sunday at 2:05 p.m. ET / 1:05 p.m. CT.***
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Michigan State baseball was topped twice by Nebraska in a doubleheader on Friday at Nebraska's Hawks Field at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Neb., in both teams' Big Ten Conference opening action.
Friday marked the first time that Michigan State had opened B1G action against Nebraska, and the Huskers won both games, 4-1 and 5-2. The Spartans and Huskers played a doubleheader on Friday due to inclement weather in the Lincoln area for Saturday. After initially intending to play game three on Saturday, the series will now wrap up on Sunday, March 24 at 2:05 p.m. ET / 1:05 p.m. CT.
MSU's lone run in the opener came on a solo home run by sophomore catcher Adam Proctor in the third inning. Junior outfielder Bryce Kelley had the Spartans other hit with a single in the seventh inning.
The loss spoiled a solid outing from sophomore pitcher Mason Erla, who went a season-long 6.1 IP in being dealt the loss. Erla scattered six hits and yielded three runs, two of them earned, while striking out six. The six strikeouts was his second-most of the season behind a pair of seven-K outings earlier in the season.
In the twinbill, junior infielder Bailey Peterson was 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Kelley was 3-for-5. Senior infielder Marty Bechina, senior outfielder Dan Chmielewski, junior infielder Justin Antoncic and freshman outfielder Zaid Walker were all 1-for-4, with Antoncic and Bechina posting RBI.
Junior pitcher Mitchell Tyranski made his second start of the season, striking out five in 5.0 IP, before giving way to freshman reliever Colten Panaranto, who also struck out five in 2.2 IP. Junior reliever Indigo Diaz got the only batter he faced out to thwart a Husker threat in the eighth.
The Spartans got on the board in the top of the third inning with Proctor's home run to right field for an early 1-0 lead. It was Proctor's team-leading fourth HR of the season, with three of them on the solo variety. It was also MSU's third HR this season to lead off an inning.
Erla worked around a lead off single in the bottom of the fourth, with his defense turning the first of two double plays in the game as Bechina made the scoop, flipped to fellow senior, second baseman Royce Ando for out at second, and Ando spun and fired to first baseman Antoncic, who stretched to make the catch to complete the double play.
The Spartan defense turned its second double play in as many innings in the fifth, working around a leadoff single as sophomore third baseman Zach Iverson made the stop on a chopper just over the bag, fired to Ando at second, who spun and threw to Antoncic for the double play by a hair.
Nebraska tied it up at 1-all in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Aaron Palensky. The Huskers later had runners at second and third, but Erla got out of the jam with a strikeout. The Huskers took the lead in the seventh, chasing Erla, and later loading the bases after an error, then a walk, sac fly and RBI single for a 4-1 advantage, and MSU didn't threaten in the eighth or ninth, going down in order.
In the nightcap, Nebraska took advantage of an MSU error, later plating a pair of runs on a two-run bases loaded single by Colby Gomes for an early 2-0 lead. After Tyranski got out of a jam in the fourth, stranding runners on first and third with a fly out to end the inning, the Huskers plated a run in the fifth with an RBI double by Gomes, before Tyranski ended the inning with a strikeout.Â
Nebraska chased Tyranski in the sixth, and MSU brought in Panaranto. The Huskers plated a pair of runs before Panaranto ended the home team's rally with a groundout and strikeout. Panaranto struck out the side in the seventh.Â
In the eighth, Peterson sparked the Spartan rally with a single to right, and Nebraska later made a pitching change, relieving starter Nick Fisher with reliever Robbie Palkert. Two batters later, senior catcher Nic Lacayo walked and Kelley singled to right to load the bases. Antoncic followed with an infield single to plate Peterson, preceding Bechina with an infield single as well to drive in Lacayo before a strikeout left the bases full of Spartans to end the inning, pulling MSU within, 5-2.
Nebraska threatened to counter in the home half of the eighth, getting two on with two out after a walk and an error, and MSU made a match-up pitching change, bringing in Diaz, who induced a fly out to leave two Huskers on the bases.
The Spartans did not go quietly into the brisk Nebraska night, as Peterson drew a one-out walk and Chmielewski laced a single to left. Two batters later, freshman Casey Mayes drew a two-out walk to load the bases, but a groundout ended not only the Spartan rally, but the game as well.
The series will wrap up on Sunday, March 24 at 2:05 p.m. ET / 1:05 p.m. CT.
Fans can follow Sunday's Spartan baseball action at Nebraska through "Live Stats," "Listen Live" and "Watch Live" links found at MSUSpartans.com. This weekend's match-up will be video streamed on BTN2Go, and will also be carried on the Spartan Sports Network live audio stream. The broadcast will be available exclusively at SpartanSportsNetwork.com and on the network's 24/7 app for mobile devices (available on iTunes and Google Play). Broadcast veteran Scott Moore calls the action.
Michigan State will host Western Michigan next Wednesday, March 27 at 4:05 p.m. at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
Any further schedule updates will be announced on www.MSUSpartans.com and on twitter @statebaseball.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Waldron, Ma. (3-0)
L: Erla, Mason (1-4)
Batting:
HR: Proctor, Adam 1
RBI: Proctor, Adam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Proctor, Adam 1
Batting:
2B: Palensky, A. 1 ; Acker, J. 1
RBI: Altavilla, A 1 ; Palensky, A. 2 ; Watson, K. 1
SH: Gomes, C. 1
SF: Palensky, A. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hagge, M. 1 ; Cross, C. 1 ; Chick, C. 1 ; Henwood, A. 1
SB: Hagge, M. 1 ; Acker, J. 1 ; Henwood, A. 1
HBP: Watson, K. 1
Game Leaders
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RBI
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4
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RBI
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AB
3
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0
H
0
RBI
0
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