Michigan State University
3-2, 3-2
Northwestern
3-2, 3-2
Michigan State Defeated By Northwestern Friday
3/12/2021 8:16:00 PM | Baseball
Spartans open four-game series with loss.
After MSU scored a run in the top of the first, Northwestern went on to hit an extremely remarkable and rare three grand slams, one in each of the first three innings, in jumping out to a 13-1 lead one-third of the way through the game, and the Wildcats went on for the 14-2 win.
"It was a tough day today, but we will be ready to compete tomorrow," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said.
Both teams are now 3-2 on the season with Friday's result, entering games two and three of the weekend on Saturday, before Sunday's series finale.
Spartan senior outfielder Bryce Kelley was 2-for-3 at the plate. Kelley also had another nice outfield assist, his second in as many weekends at Fluor Field, with a nice throw home to junior catcher Adam Proctor for the tag on Northwestern's Jay Beshears trying to score from second on the single, to end the fifth inning.
Freshman shortstop Mitch Jebb was 1-for-4 with a run scored, crossing the plate in the top of the first after leading off the game with a single. Kelley followed with a single to move Jebb up to third and they both advanced on a wild pitch, and Jebb scored on the next play, when senior infielder Bailey Peterson reached on a throwing error, but was tagged out at second trying to advance.
Freshman first baseman Brock Vradenburg was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, driving in fellow freshman, Trent Farquhar, who reached on a pinch-hit infield single in the ninth. After freshman Dillon Kark drew a pinch-hit walk, redshirt-freshman Gabe Sotres pinch hit and singled to right to load bases. Vradenburg came to bat next and drew an RBI walk to plate Farquhar.
A total of 20 different Spartans saw action, including the Spartan debuts of freshmen pitchers Nick Smith and Dominic Hann, along with the pitching debut of Zach Hopman, who saw limited action as an outfielder and pinch runner in last season's 15 games.
Saturday's doubleheader is slated for a start time of 3 p.m., with game two scheduled for approximately 6 p.m. Under Big Ten Conference rules this season, the teams will play a seven-inning game followed by a nine-inning contest for the doubleheader. The series wraps up on Sunday, March 14 with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Doherty, Mike (1-0)
L: Benschoter, Sam (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Vradenburg, Brock 1
RBI: Peterson, Bailey 1 ; Vradenburg, Brock 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Farquhar, Trent 1
CS: Ahn, Peter 1
HBP: Ahn, Peter 1
Batting:
2B: Calarco, Anthony 1 ; Dunn, David 1 ; Bianchina, Vincent 1
HR: Hrustich, Stephen 1 ; Trautwein, Michael 1 ; Bianchina, Vincent 1
RBI: Hrustich, Stephen 4 ; Trautwein, Michael 5 ; Bianchina, Vincent 4
SF: Trautwein, Michael 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Calarco, Anthony 3 ; Goosenberg, Shawn 2 ; Hrustich, Stephen 2 ; Trautwein, Michael 3 ; Dunn, David 1 ; Bianchina, Vincent 1 ; O'Donnell, Ethan 2
HBP: Goosenberg, Shawn 1 ; Hrustich, Stephen 1
