Sunday, March 21
Ann Arbor, Mich.
12 PM ET
Michigan State University
5-5, 5-5
3
vs
7
Illinois
6-6, 6-6
1
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4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Michigan State
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
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12
1
Illinois
1
0
4
0
2
0
0
0
X
7
10
0
Photo by: Ben Clemens
MSU Baseball Topped Twice Sunday
3/21/2021 9:01:00 PM | Baseball
Spartans defeated in split twinbill with Illinois and No. 22 Michigan in Ann Arbor.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball played a split doubleheader with Illinois and No. 22 Michigan Sunday afternoon in day three of four of the Ann Arbor pod at Michigan's Ray Fisher Stadium, and MSU was topped twice in the twinbill.
The Spartans opened Sunday's action with a 7-3 loss to the Illini, then an 8-7 loss to the nationally-ranked Wolverines. MSU split its two games in the weekend with Illinois after winning Saturday's match-up, 11-0.
Michigan State had a combined 28 hits in Sunday's split doubleheader, with 12 in game one against Illinois and 16 against Michigan.
"We swung the bat well today, that was good to see, and I thought we swung the bat well even in the first game," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "We were close and just couldn't get a big hit, and I think we out-hit them and we had 12 baserunners left on base in game one, we just couldn't drive somebody in and so that was a little disappointing, but I'm proud of the guys the way they kept a good approach in game two and really, from the beginning of the game to the end, I thought we had a lot of quality at bats, we did a lot of good things offensively. For eight innings, I thought we pitched up pretty well, but the game is nine innings long."
In game two, 12 of MSU's 16 hits came with two outs, and all seven runs were scored with two outs.
"We were better with two outs in game two and game one was kind of the opposite of that. I think we got them on in gave one, had a lot of base runners but just couldn't get that two-out hit and we were able to do it in game two. I thinks we had a lot of good approaches at the plate, and we were able to barrel up a lot of balls and hit a lot of balls hard," Boss said.
In the opener, senior outfielder Joe Stewart was 3-for-5 with two doubles, while fellow senior outfielder Bryce Kelley was 2-for-4 with a run. The freshmen infielder duo of Trent Farquhar and Mitch Jebb had two hits apiece, with Farquhar going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, while Jebb was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Sophomore outfielder Zaid Walker was 2-for-5 with a run scored, and junior infielder Zach Iverson was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
On the mound, senior starter Sam Benschoter scattered eight hits over 2.1 IP, yielding five runs, before giving way to sophomore reliever Burrell Jones, who went 4.1 IP with just two hits and two strikeouts. Freshman Zach Hopman went the final 1.1 IP without a hit.
Illinois scored a run in the first, before four in the third for a 5-0 lead. Â The Spartans got a run back in the top of the fifth on an Iverson RBI single, driving in Jebb who started the rally with a one-out bunt single, pulling within, 5-1.
The Illini plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to open a 7-1 advantage.Â
The Spartans scored a run in the top of the eight after Walker led off with a double and Farquhar drove him in with an RBI single, but the rally fizzled without another run. In the ninth, Kelley led off with a walk and moved up to third on a double by Stewart. Iverson then walked to load the bases with no outs, but the Spartan comeback was shut down with a double play, scoring Kelley, but nothing else, and a strikeout ended the game.
In game two of the day against Michigan, the Spartans rapped out 16 hits, one shy of their season-high, with all nine players in the lineup knocking at least one hit, including four with multiple hits. Of the Spartans' 16 hits, 12 of them came with two outs.
Stewart led the way going 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, knocking another double, giving him three on the day and four in the last three games. For the season, Stewart now has a team-leading five doubles, as well as topping the team with seven extra-base hits (five doubles, one triple, one home run), and sharing the team lead with 10 RBI.
Walker was 3-for-5 with two RBI, while redshirt-freshman Gabe Sotres and senior designated hitter Bailey Peterson were both 2-for-4, with Sotres scoring a run and Peterson driving in a run and scoring one. Jebb was 1-for-4, while Kelley was 1-for-5, each both adding an RBI and run scored. Farquhar and fellow freshman infielder Brock Vradenburg added a hit apiece.
On the mound for the Spartans was freshman Adam Berhorst, MSU's two-sport standout also on the Spartan football team. Monday's game at Fisher Stadium was in the shadows of Michigan Stadium, site of where the last time Berghorst played in a game in a Spartan uniform in Ann Arbor was on Oct. 31, 2020, when Spartan football beat the Wolverines and won the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Berghorst stymied the Wolverine bats, yielding just three hits without a run in 5.1 IP.
"Adam did a heck of a job, he certainly deserved better. He was really in control, he walked a couple guys and pitch count was getting up a little bit, and again, we're trying to bring him along," Boss said. "With him not having a fall (due to playing football), he's still getting his arm in shape, so at 83 pitches, I think it was a good time. He kept guys off balance, and he was able to locate on both sides of plate and changed speeds. I think he really did a heck of a job today."
The Spartans got on the board first, plating a pair of runs with a two-out rally in the second, using a HR shy of the cycle to score two. Sotres sparked the rally with a double down the left field line. Jebb followed and sliced a line drive to the gap in left center that skipped to the wall and the speedy Jebb darted around the bases with a diving slide into third for the triple.Â
That brought Peterson to the plate and he singled through the left side for an RBI single to drive in Jebb, and a 2-0 Spartan lead.
MSU added two more in the fifth, again with a two-out rally.
Stewart started the rally with a single up the middle. Iverson followed with a double that Stewart dashed around the bases and slid into home, sliding so fast that he pulled up the turf in the batter's box. After a delay in the game to allow the grounds crew to repair the turf, Walker knocked a base hit to drive in Iverson and put the Green & White ahead 4-0.
In the seventh, Iverson and Walker again factored in to the Spartans' two-out rally, as Iverson drew a walk, then Walker smacked a double down the left field line and Iverson darted around and scored. MSU added two more in the eighth as Peterson doubled to the gap in right center with one out. Two batters later, now with two outs, Kelley laced a double down the right field line to knock in Peterson. Next at bat was Stewart and he singled up the middle to plate Peterson.
Michigan rallied in the ninth for the win.
"When it's winning time, we need guys who are poised and ready to win, and that's from guy one to guy 42, and it's a shame in the way that it ended, but right now we've got a lot of guys who say they want the ball, and then when it comes time to it, we need to be able to execute," Boss said. "It was a shame the way it ended today I think, to put 16 hits up on the board with a consistent offensive approach really from the beginning of the game to the end I thought was pretty good. We pitched it well for eight innings, but the game's nine innings long."
Michigan State wraps up the four-game extended weekend on Monday, finishing with Michigan in a 4 p.m. first pitch. Fans can follow the information with live stats, live audio from TCF Bank Spartan Media Network, and live streaming from Big Ten Network+ with links available at MSUSpartans.com.
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The Spartans opened Sunday's action with a 7-3 loss to the Illini, then an 8-7 loss to the nationally-ranked Wolverines. MSU split its two games in the weekend with Illinois after winning Saturday's match-up, 11-0.
Michigan State had a combined 28 hits in Sunday's split doubleheader, with 12 in game one against Illinois and 16 against Michigan.
"We swung the bat well today, that was good to see, and I thought we swung the bat well even in the first game," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "We were close and just couldn't get a big hit, and I think we out-hit them and we had 12 baserunners left on base in game one, we just couldn't drive somebody in and so that was a little disappointing, but I'm proud of the guys the way they kept a good approach in game two and really, from the beginning of the game to the end, I thought we had a lot of quality at bats, we did a lot of good things offensively. For eight innings, I thought we pitched up pretty well, but the game is nine innings long."
In game two, 12 of MSU's 16 hits came with two outs, and all seven runs were scored with two outs.
"We were better with two outs in game two and game one was kind of the opposite of that. I think we got them on in gave one, had a lot of base runners but just couldn't get that two-out hit and we were able to do it in game two. I thinks we had a lot of good approaches at the plate, and we were able to barrel up a lot of balls and hit a lot of balls hard," Boss said.
In the opener, senior outfielder Joe Stewart was 3-for-5 with two doubles, while fellow senior outfielder Bryce Kelley was 2-for-4 with a run. The freshmen infielder duo of Trent Farquhar and Mitch Jebb had two hits apiece, with Farquhar going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, while Jebb was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Sophomore outfielder Zaid Walker was 2-for-5 with a run scored, and junior infielder Zach Iverson was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
On the mound, senior starter Sam Benschoter scattered eight hits over 2.1 IP, yielding five runs, before giving way to sophomore reliever Burrell Jones, who went 4.1 IP with just two hits and two strikeouts. Freshman Zach Hopman went the final 1.1 IP without a hit.
Illinois scored a run in the first, before four in the third for a 5-0 lead. Â The Spartans got a run back in the top of the fifth on an Iverson RBI single, driving in Jebb who started the rally with a one-out bunt single, pulling within, 5-1.
The Illini plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to open a 7-1 advantage.Â
The Spartans scored a run in the top of the eight after Walker led off with a double and Farquhar drove him in with an RBI single, but the rally fizzled without another run. In the ninth, Kelley led off with a walk and moved up to third on a double by Stewart. Iverson then walked to load the bases with no outs, but the Spartan comeback was shut down with a double play, scoring Kelley, but nothing else, and a strikeout ended the game.
In game two of the day against Michigan, the Spartans rapped out 16 hits, one shy of their season-high, with all nine players in the lineup knocking at least one hit, including four with multiple hits. Of the Spartans' 16 hits, 12 of them came with two outs.
Stewart led the way going 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, knocking another double, giving him three on the day and four in the last three games. For the season, Stewart now has a team-leading five doubles, as well as topping the team with seven extra-base hits (five doubles, one triple, one home run), and sharing the team lead with 10 RBI.
Walker was 3-for-5 with two RBI, while redshirt-freshman Gabe Sotres and senior designated hitter Bailey Peterson were both 2-for-4, with Sotres scoring a run and Peterson driving in a run and scoring one. Jebb was 1-for-4, while Kelley was 1-for-5, each both adding an RBI and run scored. Farquhar and fellow freshman infielder Brock Vradenburg added a hit apiece.
On the mound for the Spartans was freshman Adam Berhorst, MSU's two-sport standout also on the Spartan football team. Monday's game at Fisher Stadium was in the shadows of Michigan Stadium, site of where the last time Berghorst played in a game in a Spartan uniform in Ann Arbor was on Oct. 31, 2020, when Spartan football beat the Wolverines and won the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Berghorst stymied the Wolverine bats, yielding just three hits without a run in 5.1 IP.
"Adam did a heck of a job, he certainly deserved better. He was really in control, he walked a couple guys and pitch count was getting up a little bit, and again, we're trying to bring him along," Boss said. "With him not having a fall (due to playing football), he's still getting his arm in shape, so at 83 pitches, I think it was a good time. He kept guys off balance, and he was able to locate on both sides of plate and changed speeds. I think he really did a heck of a job today."
The Spartans got on the board first, plating a pair of runs with a two-out rally in the second, using a HR shy of the cycle to score two. Sotres sparked the rally with a double down the left field line. Jebb followed and sliced a line drive to the gap in left center that skipped to the wall and the speedy Jebb darted around the bases with a diving slide into third for the triple.Â
That brought Peterson to the plate and he singled through the left side for an RBI single to drive in Jebb, and a 2-0 Spartan lead.
MSU added two more in the fifth, again with a two-out rally.
Stewart started the rally with a single up the middle. Iverson followed with a double that Stewart dashed around the bases and slid into home, sliding so fast that he pulled up the turf in the batter's box. After a delay in the game to allow the grounds crew to repair the turf, Walker knocked a base hit to drive in Iverson and put the Green & White ahead 4-0.
In the seventh, Iverson and Walker again factored in to the Spartans' two-out rally, as Iverson drew a walk, then Walker smacked a double down the left field line and Iverson darted around and scored. MSU added two more in the eighth as Peterson doubled to the gap in right center with one out. Two batters later, now with two outs, Kelley laced a double down the right field line to knock in Peterson. Next at bat was Stewart and he singled up the middle to plate Peterson.
Michigan rallied in the ninth for the win.
"When it's winning time, we need guys who are poised and ready to win, and that's from guy one to guy 42, and it's a shame in the way that it ended, but right now we've got a lot of guys who say they want the ball, and then when it comes time to it, we need to be able to execute," Boss said. "It was a shame the way it ended today I think, to put 16 hits up on the board with a consistent offensive approach really from the beginning of the game to the end I thought was pretty good. We pitched it well for eight innings, but the game's nine innings long."
Michigan State wraps up the four-game extended weekend on Monday, finishing with Michigan in a 4 p.m. first pitch. Fans can follow the information with live stats, live audio from TCF Bank Spartan Media Network, and live streaming from Big Ten Network+ with links available at MSUSpartans.com.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: O'Hara,Ryan (1-0)
L: Benschoter, Sam (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Stewart, Joe 2 ; Walker, Zaid 1
RBI: Iverson, Zach 1 ; Farquhar, Trent 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Kelley, Bryce 1 ; Walker, Zaid 1
SB: Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Farquhar, Trent 1
HBP: Farquhar, Trent 1
Batting:
2B: Hampe,Ryan 1 ; Comia,Branden 1 ; Sarver,Kellen 1 ; McDonald,Cam 1 ; Raper,Jackson 1
RBI: Comia,Branden 1 ; Sarver,Kellen 1 ; McDonald,Cam 3 ; Hejza,Cal 1
SF: Hejza,Cal 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Doligale,Danny 1 ; Hampe,Ryan 1 ; Comia,Branden 2 ; Sarver,Kellen 1 ; McDonald,Cam 2
CS: Comia,Branden 1
HBP: Comia,Branden 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
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H
3
RBI
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AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
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INF
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OF/LHP
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INF/OF/RHP
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/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF/LHP
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IF/OF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballOF/1B
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INF
/ BaseballOF
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