Michigan State University
14-22, 0
Ohio State
18-15, 0
Spartans Beat Buckeyes, 10-7, Friday Night
5/14/2021 11:02:00 PM | Baseball
Kark blasts first career HR; Erla stymies OSU bats.
The Spartans plated double-digit runs in back-to-back games after a 10-2 Victory for MSU over Michigan last Sunday, May 9, and it's not only the first time this season that the Spartans scored double-digit runs in consecutive games, but also the first time since 2017, when Michigan State posted double-figures in four-straight games and in a stretch of five times in six games.
MSU rapped out 10 hits Friday night, including a three-run home run by freshman infielder Kark, who blasted the first home run of his Spartan career. Sophomore outfielder Zaid Walker was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, while freshman infielder Trent Farquhar was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
"It was a good win on a Friday night. Anytime you can win on Friday is obviously huge for the weekend and I'm proud of the way our guys competed at the plate," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I thought Mason Erla was really, really good tonight."
On the mound, redshirt-junior starting pitcher Mason Erla stymied the Buckeye bats to the tune of 7.0 IP with six strikeouts, scattering five hits while yielding two runs and one walk.
Senior outfielder Bryce Kelley and senior designated hitter Andrew Morrow were both 1-for-4 with two RBI apiece, with Kelley adding two runs scored and also a stolen base. Kelley's swipe was his 11th stolen base of the season and padding his MSU career record for stolen bases with his 83rd.
Freshman infielder Mitch Jebb was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while redshirt-freshman catcher Gabe Sotres and freshman infielder Reese Trahey both added a hit apiece, with Sotres adding a run scored. Walker and Sotres added a stolen base each, part of the Spartans three swipes on the night.
MSU's defense was also flashing the leather Friday night, as Farquhar and Stewart both had diving plays for outs.
"I thought we made some plays when we needed to, and stolen bases and some of the base running were big parts of the game for us tonight," Boss said. "That being said, I think we probably still left some opportunities out there on the field, both offensively and defensively, so I think we didn't play our best baseball probably tonight but at the same time, we found a way to win and found a way to put up a big number on the board, and took advantage of some opportunities. You're never going to be perfect, but at the same time I think there's still some things that we can clean up and play better. At the end of the day, it's a good win against a really good ballclub and we know we're going to have to be cleaner tomorrow, if we're going to win tomorrow's game."
"Nice play on both ends!"
— Michigan State Baseball (@statebaseball) May 14, 2021
End 1st | MSU 0, OSU 0
Erla retires Buckeyes in 1-2-3 order, w/ two strikeouts, then Farquhar with a niiiiiice diving stop to rob a hit, accompanied by stretch by Trahey at 1st.
Jebb to lead off the Spartan 2nd.
⚾️#GoGreen | @trentjf7 | @reese_trahey pic.twitter.com/CInWo2yXf1
MSU has won two games in a row in improving to 14-22 on the season, while OSU is now 18-15 with the loss.
The Spartans got on the board in a big way with a four-run second inning, as Jebb sparked the rally with a single, then Kelley and Sotres both walked to fill the bases with Green & White. Morrow followed with a sac fly to plate Jebb with the game's first run of the night, and two batters later, Kark smashed a pitch deep and gone over the left field wall.
Dillon Kark blasts his 1st HR as a Spartan with a 3-run shot left field to give MSU a 4-0 lead in the 2nd inning at Ohio State.
— Michigan State Baseball (@statebaseball) May 14, 2021
⚾️#GoGreen | @KarkDillon pic.twitter.com/aWVdhJGlc9
OSU cut the gap in half with two runs in the fourth, but MSU quickly countered and got the two runs back by plating a pair in the visitor's fifth. Farquhar and Walker went double-double, then after Walker stole third, he later came home to score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Jebb for a 6-2 Spartan advantage.
Double-Double!
— Michigan State Baseball (@statebaseball) May 14, 2021
Mid 5th | MSU 6, OSU 2
Spartans get in touch w/ their inner In-N-Out burger🍔and go double-double with Farquhar & Walker knocking back-to-back doubles. Jebb later scores Walker on fielder's choice.
Erla back to work in B5.
⚾️#GoGreen | @trentjf7 | @zwalk3 pic.twitter.com/IRgAAabcud
The MSU lead swelled to 10-2 after hanging another four-spot on the board in the top of the seventh, as the Spartans had four hits, including a two-run single by Kelley and an RBI single by Morrow.
Ohio State didn't go quietly, as the Buckeyes battled back with two in the eighth and three in the ninth to close to 10-7, but redshirt-freshman reliever William Christophersen came on and got the final out on a strikeout for his first save of the season and sealing the Victory for MSU.
𝙑𝙄𝘾𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝙈𝙎𝙐!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@statebaseball) May 15, 2021
👏👏✋✋👏👏
High fives all around!
Final score from Columbus as Spartans win the series opener:
Michigan State 10, Ohio State 7#VictoryForMSU
⚾️#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/0tIo2Oiq68
The Spartans and Buckeyes continue their three-game weekend series on Saturday, with the first pitch slated for 3:05 p.m., before the third and final game of the weekend on Sunday, May 16 at 1:05 p.m.
The weekend schedule is subject to change based on weather.
Along with any schedule updates, fans can follow the games with links for live stats, live audio (when available) and live streaming from Big Ten Network+ at MSUSpartans.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Erla, Mason (4-5)
L: Lonsway, Seth (3-5)
S: Christophersen, William (1)
Batting:
2B: Farquhar, Trent 1 ; Walker, Zaid 1
HR: Kark, Dillon 1
RBI: Walker, Zaid 1 ; Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Kelley, Bryce 2 ; Morrow, Andrew 2 ; Kark, Dillon 3
SH: Jebb, Mitch 1
SF: Morrow, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Farquhar, Trent 2 ; Walker, Zaid 2 ; Stewart, Joe 1 ; Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Kelley, Bryce 2 ; Sotres, Gabe 1 ; Kark, Dillon 1
SB: Walker, Zaid 1 ; Kelley, Bryce 1 ; Sotres, Gabe 1
CS: Stewart, Joe 1 ; Jebb, Mitch 1
HBP: Stewart, Joe 1
Batting:
2B: Okuley, Mitchell 1 ; Pohl, Conner 1 ; Todys, Brent 1 ; Bauer, Colton 1
HR: Pohl, Conner 1
RBI: Kern, Kade 1 ; Pohl, Conner 1 ; Todys, Brent 2 ; Wilson, Sam 1 ; Bauer, Colton 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Okuley, Mitchell 1 ; Kern, Kade 2 ; Pohl, Conner 3 ; Todys, Brent 1
