Sunday, April 3
Charles H. Braun Stadium | Evansville, Ind.
2 PM ET / 1 PM CT
Michigan State University
12-13
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Evansville
13-14
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10
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Michigan State
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Evansville
0
1
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1
5
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Photo by: Eric Miller
Spartans Edged By Purple Aces Sunday
4/3/2022 6:41:00 PM | Baseball
MSU overtaken late in heart-breaking 5-4 loss in 10 innings.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Michigan State baseball had a lead going into the late innings, but Evansville rallied late to send the game to extra-innings. In the bottom of the 10th, a walk-off hit by pitch dealt the Spartans a 5-4 loss to the home-standing Purple Aces Sunday afternoon at UE's German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium.
The Spartans took a 1-0 advantage in the second inning and later extended their lead to 4-1 in the seventh inning, but the Aces plated three in the bottom of the eighth to tie it up and send the game to extras.
MSU slid to 12-13 on the season, while Evansville completed the weekend sweep and improved to 13-14. The Spartans were the third-straight weekend opponent from the Big Ten for the Aces, who played Northwestern two weeks ago and Indiana last weekend. Evansville's schedule also included playing nationally-ranked NC State and Vanderbilt tough before losing, along with sweeping then No. 21-Tulane in New Orleans.
Michigan State out-hit Evansville, 9-6, but the Spartans yielded seven walks and hit six batters.
"We're really disappointed in the loss today. I thought offensively, we were pretty good for majority of the game is hard, right at some guys, but we took advantage of a couple chances we got," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "But overall, to hit six batters and to walk seven of them, it's a tough way to win, and when they only had six hits on the day, but got 13 free base runners, it was a recipe for disaster. That's how you lose a close ballgame to a good team."
MSU's offensive attack was led by sophomore infielder Mitch Jebb going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Fellow sophomore infielder Trent Farquhar was 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Junior outfielder Peter Ahn was 1-for-2 with an RBI, while junior outfielder Casey Mayes, redshirt-freshman designated hitter Christian Williams and redshirt-freshman catcher Bryan Broecker were all 1-for-4.
On the mound, junior starter Conner Tomasic went 5.0 IP, posting four strikeouts while allowing just two hits, but yielded three walks. Junior reliever Wyatt Rush threw 2.2 IP with two hits, one K and two BB, before senior closer Kyle Bischoff threw final 1.2 IP with two hits, two Ks and two BB, and allowed his first earned run of the season, in suffering first loss of the year as well.
For the first time of the weekend series, Michigan State held Evansville off the board in the first inning, as Tomasic registered an unconventional three-up, three-down inning, fielding his position to start a double play for first two outs of inning, then getting a groundout.
The Spartans also had another weekend first in the second stanza, as they took their first lead of the series. Williams sparked the rally with a triple. Ahn followed by knocking an RBI single to right center to drive him in.
Evansville quickly countered with a run of its own in the bottom of the second on an RBI double.
Yet the tie didn't last long as the Spartans took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third, as Broecker led off with a single, moved to second on a groundout and scored on an RBI single by Farquhar for a 2-1 MSU lead.
That would remain the score throughout the middle innings, as both teams would threaten, only to be denied by the opposition's pitching and fielding.
MSU broke through with two runs in the top of the seventh, as Mayes got things going with a single, then sophomore infielder Dillon Kark drew a walk, prompting an Aces pitching change. Farquhar rudely greeted UE relief pitcher Drew Dominik by smacking a double to right center to drive in Mayes, but Kark was thrown out at the plate. Farquhar later moved up to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Jebb RBI single as the Spartans opened up a 4-1 gap.
Evansville threatened in the eighth, getting two one, the second coming on a ground-rule double that hopped over the fence, saving a run for the Spartans, before the Aces' rally continued, later loading the bases after a walk with two outs. MSU brought in closer Bischoff to relieve Rush, and UE's Ty Rumsey drew another walk to bring in one run, then Mark Shallenberger laced a two-run double to left center to tie it up at 4-all.
Both teams went down in order in the ninth, sending the game to extras.
After the Spartans again were retired in order in the top of the 10th, the Aces started off the inning by Danny Borgstrom getting hit by a pitch, then later a one-out single and a walk loaded the bases and brought Shallenberger to the plate, but a 1-2 pitch from Bischoff was too much inside and hit Shallenberger for the walk-off hit by pitch to end the game.
Next week, the Spartans' lone midweek action is the 2022 Crosstown Showdown on Wednesday, April 6, resuming the Crosstown Showdown after a two-year hiatus. First pitch from Jackson® Field™ is slated for 7:05 p.m.
The Crosstown Showdown exhibition between the Lugnuts and Spartans began in 2007 as a celebration of baseball in Mid Michigan. From 2007-2019, the game was an enormous success, drawing over 100,000 total fans, averaging over 8,000 per game, airing on BTN in 2013, and bringing in the three largest crowds in stadium history, including a throng of 12,997 for the 2012 Showdown.
The game has featured 37 future Major Leaguers between the two teams, including current MLB superstars Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., and Bo Bichette, who faced off in a memorable pre-game Home Run Derby in 2016.
MSU then resumes regular-season and B1G action by heading to Columbus, Ohio for a three-game weekend series at Ohio State, Friday-Sunday April 8-10.
The week 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 from Big Ten Network+ at MSUSpartans.com.
The Spartans took a 1-0 advantage in the second inning and later extended their lead to 4-1 in the seventh inning, but the Aces plated three in the bottom of the eighth to tie it up and send the game to extras.
MSU slid to 12-13 on the season, while Evansville completed the weekend sweep and improved to 13-14. The Spartans were the third-straight weekend opponent from the Big Ten for the Aces, who played Northwestern two weeks ago and Indiana last weekend. Evansville's schedule also included playing nationally-ranked NC State and Vanderbilt tough before losing, along with sweeping then No. 21-Tulane in New Orleans.
Michigan State out-hit Evansville, 9-6, but the Spartans yielded seven walks and hit six batters.
"We're really disappointed in the loss today. I thought offensively, we were pretty good for majority of the game is hard, right at some guys, but we took advantage of a couple chances we got," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "But overall, to hit six batters and to walk seven of them, it's a tough way to win, and when they only had six hits on the day, but got 13 free base runners, it was a recipe for disaster. That's how you lose a close ballgame to a good team."
MSU's offensive attack was led by sophomore infielder Mitch Jebb going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Fellow sophomore infielder Trent Farquhar was 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Junior outfielder Peter Ahn was 1-for-2 with an RBI, while junior outfielder Casey Mayes, redshirt-freshman designated hitter Christian Williams and redshirt-freshman catcher Bryan Broecker were all 1-for-4.
On the mound, junior starter Conner Tomasic went 5.0 IP, posting four strikeouts while allowing just two hits, but yielded three walks. Junior reliever Wyatt Rush threw 2.2 IP with two hits, one K and two BB, before senior closer Kyle Bischoff threw final 1.2 IP with two hits, two Ks and two BB, and allowed his first earned run of the season, in suffering first loss of the year as well.
For the first time of the weekend series, Michigan State held Evansville off the board in the first inning, as Tomasic registered an unconventional three-up, three-down inning, fielding his position to start a double play for first two outs of inning, then getting a groundout.
The Spartans also had another weekend first in the second stanza, as they took their first lead of the series. Williams sparked the rally with a triple. Ahn followed by knocking an RBI single to right center to drive him in.
Evansville quickly countered with a run of its own in the bottom of the second on an RBI double.
Yet the tie didn't last long as the Spartans took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third, as Broecker led off with a single, moved to second on a groundout and scored on an RBI single by Farquhar for a 2-1 MSU lead.
That would remain the score throughout the middle innings, as both teams would threaten, only to be denied by the opposition's pitching and fielding.
MSU broke through with two runs in the top of the seventh, as Mayes got things going with a single, then sophomore infielder Dillon Kark drew a walk, prompting an Aces pitching change. Farquhar rudely greeted UE relief pitcher Drew Dominik by smacking a double to right center to drive in Mayes, but Kark was thrown out at the plate. Farquhar later moved up to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Jebb RBI single as the Spartans opened up a 4-1 gap.
Evansville threatened in the eighth, getting two one, the second coming on a ground-rule double that hopped over the fence, saving a run for the Spartans, before the Aces' rally continued, later loading the bases after a walk with two outs. MSU brought in closer Bischoff to relieve Rush, and UE's Ty Rumsey drew another walk to bring in one run, then Mark Shallenberger laced a two-run double to left center to tie it up at 4-all.
Both teams went down in order in the ninth, sending the game to extras.
After the Spartans again were retired in order in the top of the 10th, the Aces started off the inning by Danny Borgstrom getting hit by a pitch, then later a one-out single and a walk loaded the bases and brought Shallenberger to the plate, but a 1-2 pitch from Bischoff was too much inside and hit Shallenberger for the walk-off hit by pitch to end the game.
Next week, the Spartans' lone midweek action is the 2022 Crosstown Showdown on Wednesday, April 6, resuming the Crosstown Showdown after a two-year hiatus. First pitch from Jackson® Field™ is slated for 7:05 p.m.
The Crosstown Showdown exhibition between the Lugnuts and Spartans began in 2007 as a celebration of baseball in Mid Michigan. From 2007-2019, the game was an enormous success, drawing over 100,000 total fans, averaging over 8,000 per game, airing on BTN in 2013, and bringing in the three largest crowds in stadium history, including a throng of 12,997 for the 2012 Showdown.
The game has featured 37 future Major Leaguers between the two teams, including current MLB superstars Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., and Bo Bichette, who faced off in a memorable pre-game Home Run Derby in 2016.
MSU then resumes regular-season and B1G action by heading to Columbus, Ohio for a three-game weekend series at Ohio State, Friday-Sunday April 8-10.
The week 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 from Big Ten Network+ at MSUSpartans.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hardman, Nate (1-1)
L: Bischoff, Kyle (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Farquhar, Trent 1
3B: Williams, Christian 1
RBI: Farquhar, Trent 2 ; Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Ahn, Peter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Farquhar, Trent 1 ; Williams, Christian 1 ; Mayes, Casey 1 ; Broecker, Bryan 1
CS: Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Ahn, Peter 1
Batting:
2B: Shallenberger, Mark 2 ; Borgstrom, Danny 1 ; Hord, Brendan 1
RBI: Shallenberger, Mark 3 ; Borgstrom, Danny 1 ; Rumsey, Ty 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Berkey, Evan 2 ; Borgstrom, Danny 1 ; Hord, Brendan 1 ; Roberts, Eric 1
SB: Berkey, Evan 2
HBP: Shallenberger, Mark 1 ; Berkey, Evan 3 ; Borgstrom, Danny 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
0
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP/INF
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
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