Sunday, April 7
McLane Stadium at Kobs Field | East Lansing, Mich.
1:05 PM
Michigan State University
6
vs
8
Niagara
Photo by: MSU Baseball Social Squad
MSU Nipped By Niagara, 8-6, Sunday Afternoon
4/7/2024 6:04:00 PM | Baseball
Loss snaps Spartans’ season-long four-game win streak.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State baseball's late rally came up short in an 8-6 loss to Niagara Sunday afternoon at a sun-drenched McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
The loss snapped MSU's season-long four-game win streak and also denied the Spartans the series sweep. Michigan State suffered defeat despite out-hitting Niagara, 11-9.
"We're disappointed in the loss, I think we left some chances out there offensively early in the game, we made a couple errors that led to two unearned runs," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "We gave them one bad pitch on a three-run homer, but I thought Nick Ferazzi did a nice job settling in after the home run. But we went to the (bullpen) pen and we walked four guys in three innings out of the bullpen and it's a tough way to lose it. Credit to them, they played better than us, their top 4-5 hitters in their order are really good players and they can play in our league for sure. We're disappointed; we won the series, but we had a really good opportunity here to finish the weekend off and we didn't do it, so it's disappointing. "
The Spartans were down from the third inning on, but continued to scratch and claw throughout the game. Trailing 8-4 entering the ninth inning, MSU rallied with two runs and had a runner on second with the tying run at bat when the rally and game ended.
"It's a good group with character," Boss said. "Our guys compete hard, and we've got some young guys who are still learning how to play, but the older guys are doing a nice job leading them. We play hard until the bitter end, and if we don't then they aren't going to play. They know that, they do things the right way, and the effort hasn't ever been an issue with our guys, it's just the execution part of it today."
MSU is now 14-15 with the loss after entering Sunday at .500 for the first time since the first week of the season and had a chance to go over .500 for the first time since the same time.
Niagara moved to 19-9 with the win. The Spartans still hold the all-time series lead with the Purple Eagles at 7-3, including 6-3 in East Lansing.
Senior outfielder Jack Frank was 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, adding two stolen bases on the day. The two swipes move him to 16 on the season and 49 for his career, climbing within one of No. 5 on MSU's career stolen bases, one shy of Brandon Hughes (2015-17).
Junior designated hitter Nick Williams was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a walk. Freshman outfielder Landen Lozier was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, with MSU's first hit and run of the game coming in the first inning.
Freshman infielder Ryan McKay was 2-for-5, senior infielder Dillon Kark was 1-for-5 with two runs scored, while sophomore infielder Randy McKay was 1-for-4. Senior catcher Sam Thompson had an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
On the mound, senior Nick Ferazzi started and went 6.0 IP, scattering six hits and five runs with two walks and four Ks. Freshman Logan Pikur (1.0 IP) and sophomore Tommy Szczepanski (2.0 IP, two Ks) rounded out the action.
Sunday's scoring started in the opening inning with the Purple Eagles getting on the board with a run in their first at bat.
Just like Saturday's game, the Spartans quickly responded, plating a pair of runs in the home half of the opening frame. Leadoff hitter Lozier got things going with a single. Two batters later, Frank knocked a chopper up the middle that Niagara shortstop knocked down, but couldn't contain, and Lozier scampered around second and slid safely into third. N.Williams followed by lacing a single to center to score both Lozier and Frank and give the Spartans a 2-1 lead.
The MSU advantage held until the third, when Niagara scored four runs, boosted by a three-run HR by Vincent Mauro for a 6-2 lead.
Michigan State cut the deficit to 6-3 with a run in the fifth, after Frank knocked an RBI single through the left side to drive in Kark that reached on a fielder's choice.
After the Purple Eagles added two runs in the visitor's eighth, N.Williams led off with a single, and later scored when Thompson knocked him in with a sac fly to pull MSU within 7-4.
Niagara tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth, before MSU rallied in the ninth. Lozier led off with a walk and Kark laced a single, and both Lozier and Kark moved up a base on a throwing error on the play. Frank followed with a single to right to drive in Lozier, and N.Williams drove in Kark on a sac fly, pulling the Green & White within 8-6. However, a groundout and lineout ended the Michigan State rally and the game.
The Spartans wrap up their four-game homestand by hosting in-state foe Central Michigan on Tuesday, April 9 at 6:05 p.m. at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
After a weekend hiatus from league play, MSU resumes Big Ten Conference action with a three-game weekend series at Purdue, Friday-Sunday, April 12-14 at Purdue's Alexander Field in West Lafayette, Ind. The series opens on Friday at 6 p.m. ET, followed by Saturday's game two at 3 p.m. ET and Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m. ET
Fans can follow this weekend's action with "Tickets," "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
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For the first time ever, Michigan State baseball fans have the ability to purchase season tickets.
Season tickets packages are on sale through the Spartan Ticket Office. The MSU baseball season ticket package, which includes 24 home games at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, is available for $50.
All ticket levels for seniors, adults and children are the same price. Admission remains free for all Michigan State students by showing their MSU ID at the entry gate.
The 2024 Spartan baseball season includes Big Ten match-ups against Rutgers, Penn State and Nebraska, along with regional clashes with Central Michigan, Oakland and Notre Dame, in addition to giving fans admission to all three home games of baseball Rivalry Week against Michigan.
Individual game tickets are also on sale through the Spartan Ticket Office.
Fans can contact the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information. A direct link to purchase season tickets is here.
The loss snapped MSU's season-long four-game win streak and also denied the Spartans the series sweep. Michigan State suffered defeat despite out-hitting Niagara, 11-9.
"We're disappointed in the loss, I think we left some chances out there offensively early in the game, we made a couple errors that led to two unearned runs," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "We gave them one bad pitch on a three-run homer, but I thought Nick Ferazzi did a nice job settling in after the home run. But we went to the (bullpen) pen and we walked four guys in three innings out of the bullpen and it's a tough way to lose it. Credit to them, they played better than us, their top 4-5 hitters in their order are really good players and they can play in our league for sure. We're disappointed; we won the series, but we had a really good opportunity here to finish the weekend off and we didn't do it, so it's disappointing. "
The Spartans were down from the third inning on, but continued to scratch and claw throughout the game. Trailing 8-4 entering the ninth inning, MSU rallied with two runs and had a runner on second with the tying run at bat when the rally and game ended.
"It's a good group with character," Boss said. "Our guys compete hard, and we've got some young guys who are still learning how to play, but the older guys are doing a nice job leading them. We play hard until the bitter end, and if we don't then they aren't going to play. They know that, they do things the right way, and the effort hasn't ever been an issue with our guys, it's just the execution part of it today."
MSU is now 14-15 with the loss after entering Sunday at .500 for the first time since the first week of the season and had a chance to go over .500 for the first time since the same time.
Niagara moved to 19-9 with the win. The Spartans still hold the all-time series lead with the Purple Eagles at 7-3, including 6-3 in East Lansing.
Senior outfielder Jack Frank was 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, adding two stolen bases on the day. The two swipes move him to 16 on the season and 49 for his career, climbing within one of No. 5 on MSU's career stolen bases, one shy of Brandon Hughes (2015-17).
Junior designated hitter Nick Williams was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a walk. Freshman outfielder Landen Lozier was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, with MSU's first hit and run of the game coming in the first inning.
Freshman infielder Ryan McKay was 2-for-5, senior infielder Dillon Kark was 1-for-5 with two runs scored, while sophomore infielder Randy McKay was 1-for-4. Senior catcher Sam Thompson had an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
On the mound, senior Nick Ferazzi started and went 6.0 IP, scattering six hits and five runs with two walks and four Ks. Freshman Logan Pikur (1.0 IP) and sophomore Tommy Szczepanski (2.0 IP, two Ks) rounded out the action.
Sunday's scoring started in the opening inning with the Purple Eagles getting on the board with a run in their first at bat.
Just like Saturday's game, the Spartans quickly responded, plating a pair of runs in the home half of the opening frame. Leadoff hitter Lozier got things going with a single. Two batters later, Frank knocked a chopper up the middle that Niagara shortstop knocked down, but couldn't contain, and Lozier scampered around second and slid safely into third. N.Williams followed by lacing a single to center to score both Lozier and Frank and give the Spartans a 2-1 lead.
The MSU advantage held until the third, when Niagara scored four runs, boosted by a three-run HR by Vincent Mauro for a 6-2 lead.
Michigan State cut the deficit to 6-3 with a run in the fifth, after Frank knocked an RBI single through the left side to drive in Kark that reached on a fielder's choice.
After the Purple Eagles added two runs in the visitor's eighth, N.Williams led off with a single, and later scored when Thompson knocked him in with a sac fly to pull MSU within 7-4.
Niagara tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth, before MSU rallied in the ninth. Lozier led off with a walk and Kark laced a single, and both Lozier and Kark moved up a base on a throwing error on the play. Frank followed with a single to right to drive in Lozier, and N.Williams drove in Kark on a sac fly, pulling the Green & White within 8-6. However, a groundout and lineout ended the Michigan State rally and the game.
The Spartans wrap up their four-game homestand by hosting in-state foe Central Michigan on Tuesday, April 9 at 6:05 p.m. at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
After a weekend hiatus from league play, MSU resumes Big Ten Conference action with a three-game weekend series at Purdue, Friday-Sunday, April 12-14 at Purdue's Alexander Field in West Lafayette, Ind. The series opens on Friday at 6 p.m. ET, followed by Saturday's game two at 3 p.m. ET and Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m. ET
Fans can follow this weekend's action with "Tickets," "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
---------
For the first time ever, Michigan State baseball fans have the ability to purchase season tickets.
Season tickets packages are on sale through the Spartan Ticket Office. The MSU baseball season ticket package, which includes 24 home games at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, is available for $50.
All ticket levels for seniors, adults and children are the same price. Admission remains free for all Michigan State students by showing their MSU ID at the entry gate.
The 2024 Spartan baseball season includes Big Ten match-ups against Rutgers, Penn State and Nebraska, along with regional clashes with Central Michigan, Oakland and Notre Dame, in addition to giving fans admission to all three home games of baseball Rivalry Week against Michigan.
Individual game tickets are also on sale through the Spartan Ticket Office.
Fans can contact the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information. A direct link to purchase season tickets is here.
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballOF
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