
Michigan State Defeated By Michigan In “Capital Clash” Friday
4/15/2022 10:21:00 PM | Baseball
Frank bashed team-leading fifth HR part of going 3-4; Broecker knocks four hits.
MSU and UM played in the inaugural game at Oldsmobile Park, now Jackson Field, back in 1996, and the Capital Clash was part of the on-going 25th Anniversary of the ballpark, delayed due to the COVID pandemic.
A spirited crowd of 4,242 was in attendance and a national television audience watched on ESPNU. Michigan jumped out to an 8-0 lead after three innings and went on to win the Capital Clash, 18-6.
"We were swimming upstream again today. We're disappointed in how things started for sure," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "The common theme is we get down early and we're trying to fight and scratch and claw to get back in it and just can't seem to stop the bleeding."
The Wolverines scored 18 runs on 15 hits, including six home runs. The Spartans scored their six runs on 12 hits, with one home run by sophomore outfielder Jack Frank, who bashed his team-leading fifth round-tripper of the season in the ninth. Frank finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Redshirt-freshman infielder Bryan Broecker was 4-for-5 with three RBI, two coming on his first triple as a Spartan, one of two three-baggers for MSU on the night, as Michigan State added to it Big Ten-leading 12 triples on the season.
"Jack had a nice night tonight," Boss said. "Bryan Broecker had a good night and hit some balls hard. I feel like Zaid Walker's getting closer, he hit another ball or two hard tonight, and Casey Mayes hit a couple balls hard."
Junior outfielder Mayes was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, knocking a double. Junior infielder Peter Ahn was 1-for-4, senior designated hitter Zach Iverson was 1-for-5 and sophomore infielder Mitch Jebb was 1-for-6 with an RBI and added a stolen base.
Ahn made a spectacular play at first, leaping and hanging in the air to snag a high-chopper and stepping on the bag for the out.
Four different MSU pitchers combined for 12 Ks, while yielding 15 hits and four walks, as the Spartans shuffled their rotation around due some injuries. Sophomore Kyle Dunning tallied one K and one walk, while freshman Ryan Szczepaniak amassed five punchouts and two walks. Szczepaniak wears jersey number 42, and had a solid outing on Jackie Robinson Day, honoring the baseball pioneer.
Freshman Aidan Arbaugh had four Ks and one free pass, while sophomore Dominic Hann tallied two strikeouts.
"We knew coming in it was going to kind of be a bullpen type of day for us, kind of a "Johnny Wholestaff" type of day; unfortunately you don't want to be in that situation on Friday night but that's why we find ourselves right now. With our Saturday and Sunday guys both throwing a lot of pitches last week, I didn't want bring those guys back on short rest, and so that's where we're at," Boss said. "When you get an opportunity, though, you need to take advantage of the opportunity, and we had some guys that had opportunities tonight and unfortunately, weren't able to take advantage of it."
Michigan scored two runs in its first at bat on a pair of solo home runs, and the Wolverines added five more in the second and one each in the third and fourth frames to open a 9-0 lead.
Michigan State got on the board in the home half of the fourth, as Broecker bashed a triple to center, driving in Frank and Mayes. Frank led off the frame with a walk and Mayes reached on a bunt single, before Broecker roped a line drive to center to bring them around.
The Wolverines tacked on three in the sixth and two in the top of the eighth. The Spartans scored one in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Jebb, plating Broecker who led off with an infield single.
After UM posted four runs in the top of the ninth, MSU rallied in the bottom of the frame. Walker led off with a walk and Frank followed with a blast to right-center field, just over the 407' sign at Jackson Field. After Mayes doubled, Broecker laced a single up the middle and Mayes darted around to score. Ahn was hit by a pitch, and he and Broecker moved up on a passed ball, but three strikeouts ended the Spartan rally and the game.
"The one thing I just continue to ask these guys that they continue to play hard and compete, and I feel like we do play hard," Boss said. "Guys are not happy about what happened tonight, but they could have folded and rolled over in the ninth and we're still taking good swings and trying to do some damage at the plate, so, I give them credit. It's not an easy situation, but I left them in there because I wanted to see what they were made out. So, we'll keep fighting and scratching and clawing, and hopefully the outcome's different tomorrow."
The Spartans and Wolverines continue their three-game B1G weekend series back at McLane Field at Kobs Field on Saturday, April 16 at 4:05 p.m. and Sunday, April 17 at 1:05 p.m.
The weekend schedule is subject to change based on weather.
Along with any further schedule updates, fans can follow the games with links for live stats, live audio (when available) and live streaming of home games from Big Ten Network+ at MSUSpartans.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: O'Halloran, Connor (4-2)
L: Dunning, Kyle (1-4)
Batting:
2B: Burton, Ted 1 ; Bertram, Riley 1
HR: Elliott, Clark 3 ; Stewart, Joe 1 ; Frey, Matt 1 ; Flores, Tito 1
RBI: Elliott, Clark 8 ; Stewart, Joe 1 ; Burton, Ted 2 ; Frey, Matt 3 ; Flores, Tito 1 ; Lawrence, Brandon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Elliott, Clark 5 ; Stewart, Joe 3 ; Burton, Ted 2 ; Frey, Matt 1 ; Flores, Tito 1 ; Obertop, Jimmy 1 ; Kilinski, Trevor 1 ; Van Remortel, Jack 1 ; Stanton, Dylan 1 ; Rogers, Jordon 1 ; Lawrence, Brandon 1
SB: Elliott, Clark 1 ; Stewart, Joe 1 ; Burton, Ted 1 ; Kilinski, Trevor 1
HBP: Stewart, Joe 1 ; Burton, Ted 1 ; Flores, Tito 1 ; Obertop, Jimmy 1

Batting:
2B: Mayes, Casey 1
3B: Frank, Jack 1 ; Broecker, Bryan 1
HR: Frank, Jack 1
RBI: Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Frank, Jack 2 ; Broecker, Bryan 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Walker, Zaid 1 ; Frank, Jack 2 ; Mayes, Casey 2 ; Broecker, Bryan 1
SB: Jebb, Mitch 1
HBP: Ahn, Peter 1