Saturday, April 19
East Lansing, Mich.
3:32 PM
Michigan State University
22-15, 8-9
10
vs
9
Ohio State
9-26, 2-15
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
R
H
E
Ohio State
0
4
0
2
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
9
11
2
Michigan State
2
0
0
0
3
3
0
1
0
0
1
10
9
5
Photo by: MSU Baseball Social Squad
Sokolove Walk-Off HR In Bottom Of 11th Boosts Spartans Over Buckeyes
4/19/2025 10:02:00 PM | Baseball
MSU wins wild back-and-forth extra-inning battle to capture series.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- JT Sokolove's walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning boosted Michigan State baseball to a wild, 10-9 Victory for MSU over Ohio State on Saturday afternoon at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium.
The Spartans rallied from a 6-2 deficit after four innings, marking their seventh come-from-behind win of the season, and largest deficit of the season. It was MSU's first come-from-behind of more than three runs since rallying from down 8-3 in the sixth vs. Western Illinois and rallying for a 10-9 win on April 14, 2023.
Michigan State rallied with three runs in the fifth and sixth stanza to take an 8-6 lead after six frames, only to have the Buckeyes retake the lead with three in the seventh for a 9-8 lead. A pinch-hit home run by senior Will Shannon in the eighth tied it up and neither team scored in the ninth to send the game to extra frames. After no scoring in the 10th and top of the 11th, Sokolove belted a one-out opposite-field home run over the wall in right and into the Red Cedar River.
Sokolove was swarmed and mobbed by his teammates at home plate, dousing him with a water cooler full of water, and several water bottles, as the Victory for MSU celebration spilled out into left field.
Â
"Walk-offs are always fun. You hope nobody gets hurt in the pile, but, what a way to end it," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "It was a crazy game, a lot of ups and downs. We didn't really play well, but if you can win and not play well, I think that's a good sign. I think it was a good character win for our guys; it's a high character group. I'm glad we got one up in the win when we wanted to."
MSU won despite getting out-hit by OSU, 11-9, but timely hits in pivotal moments paid off for the Spartans, with few bigger than Sokolove's walk-off homer.
"It was great," Sokolove said about his first walk-off HR of his collegiate career. "Going into that at bat I was getting kind of frustrated to be honest, with just how the day had gone, but I just reminded myself to give my at bats, give my stats and give it all to God, He'll take care and I think that was all Him right there."
Â
Sokolove finished 2-for-6 with two runs scored. He was one of two Spartans with multiple hits, joined by graduate catcher Caleb Berry going 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.
The home run was Sokolove's second overall as a Spartan and ninth of his collegiate career, as he had seven during his three years at Illinois State before transferring to MSU.
"No sir, that's really not my game," Sokolove said when asked about looking to hit a walk-off home run when he came to the plate. "I'm just trying to hit some to the right side of the field and get something going in the inning."
Â
Off the bat, Sokolove and all the players and fans were unsure if it was going to go or not, getting some help from the wind.
"Not necessarily, but I mean, you get it up in the wind and the wind was blowing out that way, it was going to go," Sokolove said about knowing if it was going to go out.
MSU overcame five errors to win.
"Yeah, I feel very fortunate," Boss said about making five errors and still getting the win. "We did not play well and when we get beat, we kind of feel like we beat ourselves. We finally overcame that today, but I would prefer not to make five errors and play a little bit more clean. We are still looking for defensive consistency."
Saturday's win was the first time this season that MSU overcame allowing four or more runs in an inning and still picked up the victory, and the Spartans did so with some pivotal pitching in some tight spots.
Junior starter Joseph Dzierwa went just 4.0 IP with five strikeouts, scattering six hits for six runs, five earned, with two walks. Graduate Zach Maxey came in and picked up three Ks in 2.1 IP, with one hit and two runs. Dzierwa's five strikeouts give him 223 for his career, tying for No. 4 on MSU's career strikeout list, matching Ron Perranoski's 223 Ks from 1956-58.
Senior Dominic Pianto went 1.2 IP with one punchout and one run on three hits. Sophomore Garrett Brewer pitched the final 3.0 IP, with one hit without a run, and ringing up three strikeouts, the third one coming on of the inning-ending variety in the 11th.
MSU not only won the game, but clinched the Big Ten Conference series win after Friday's 11-4 triumph. Saturday's win was the Spartans' fifth-straight victory, improving to 22-15 overall and 8-9 in B1G action.
It is also Michigan State's second-straight series win after winning last weekend's B1G series against Northwestern, and third of the season, with the road series win at Penn State, March 21-23.
Ohio State slid to 9-26 overall and 2-15 in B1G play, being dealt its eighth conference loss in a row, while the Buckeye's two wins were over league co-leader and No. 10 Oregon on March 29. Saturday's defeat leaves OSU still winless in road games at 0-14 overall and 0-11 in B1G away games.Â
MSU has beaten OSU in seven of the last nine meetings and 12 of the last 17 match-ups, including the last two series at home, as the Spartans also hosted the Buckeyes on Easter weekend in 2023, but the three games were played at Jackson Field, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, due to flooding around McLane Stadium and Old College Field.
MSU's Saturday win closes the gap in OSU's overall lead to 146-105-1 in the all-time series that dates back to 1911 and is MSU's second-oldest Big Ten series, now with the 252 games behind the Michigan series with 336 games.Â
Along with Sokolove and Berry's multi-hit outings, senior Sam Busch was just 1-for-4, but it was a big hit, with a two-run home run in the first inning.
Â
It was Busch's 11th round-tripper of the season and the 25th of his career, taking over sole possession on MSU's career HR list. Now with 11 HR on the year, Busch is the second Spartan to blast double-digit homers in the last three seasons, joining former teammate Brock Vradenburg with 13 HR in 2023.
Busch's home run came in the first inning, as the Spartans scored in the first frame for the second-straight day and third game in row, part of doing so for the fifth time in the last seven games. MSU has now scored in its first at bat of the game 17 times in the 37 games played this season, scoring 46 runs in the first inning out of their 256 total runs, averaging 1.2 runs per game in the first inning.
In addition to Busch's outing at the plate, sophomore infielder Ryan McKay was 1-for-5 with two RBI, coming on a two-run double off the top of the wall in right in the fifth inning.
Junior infielder Randy Seymour was 1-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, which came on a two-run single in the sixth. Sophomore outfielder Parker Picot was 1-for-4 with a run scored and Shannon was 1-for-1 with his home run in the eighth, which was off the foul pole and top of the fence, and was reviewed and confirmed as a home run to tie the game up.
Â
After Busch's homer put MSU ahead 2-0 in the first, OSU countered with four runs on three hits in the second, then two runs on two hits in the fourth, taking advantage of two Spartan errors, to open the 6-2 lead.
McKay's two-ribbie double, along with an RBI groundout by Berry provided MSU's scoring in the fifth. Seymour's two-run single plated two Spartan runs in the sixth, and he stole second, went to third on a throwing error from the OSU catcher and scored on a throwing error by the OSU center fielder to score and put MSU ahead, 8-6.
However, just as quickly as the Spartans took the lead, they relinquished it, as the Buckeyes scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 9-8 advantage, setting up Shannon and Sokolove's homer heroics.
MSU and OSU wrap up the weekend series on Sunday at 1:02 p.m.
The Spartans' schedule is subject to further change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links where available.
This weekend is part of the Spartans' nine-game homestand at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium, which wraps up on Tuesday, April 22 against Purdue Fort Wayne at 6:02 p.m.
Michigan State baseball tickets are available online at msuspartans.evenue.net, by contacting the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information.
Â
The Spartans rallied from a 6-2 deficit after four innings, marking their seventh come-from-behind win of the season, and largest deficit of the season. It was MSU's first come-from-behind of more than three runs since rallying from down 8-3 in the sixth vs. Western Illinois and rallying for a 10-9 win on April 14, 2023.
Michigan State rallied with three runs in the fifth and sixth stanza to take an 8-6 lead after six frames, only to have the Buckeyes retake the lead with three in the seventh for a 9-8 lead. A pinch-hit home run by senior Will Shannon in the eighth tied it up and neither team scored in the ninth to send the game to extra frames. After no scoring in the 10th and top of the 11th, Sokolove belted a one-out opposite-field home run over the wall in right and into the Red Cedar River.
Sokolove was swarmed and mobbed by his teammates at home plate, dousing him with a water cooler full of water, and several water bottles, as the Victory for MSU celebration spilled out into left field.
Â
WALK-OFF VICTORY FOR MSU!!!#GoGreen | @JtSokolove pic.twitter.com/VBR4JmIDsb
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 19, 2025
"Walk-offs are always fun. You hope nobody gets hurt in the pile, but, what a way to end it," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "It was a crazy game, a lot of ups and downs. We didn't really play well, but if you can win and not play well, I think that's a good sign. I think it was a good character win for our guys; it's a high character group. I'm glad we got one up in the win when we wanted to."
MSU won despite getting out-hit by OSU, 11-9, but timely hits in pivotal moments paid off for the Spartans, with few bigger than Sokolove's walk-off homer.
"It was great," Sokolove said about his first walk-off HR of his collegiate career. "Going into that at bat I was getting kind of frustrated to be honest, with just how the day had gone, but I just reminded myself to give my at bats, give my stats and give it all to God, He'll take care and I think that was all Him right there."
Â
There's nothing quite like that walk-off win feeling.#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/NIgZGfPSxK
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 20, 2025
Sokolove finished 2-for-6 with two runs scored. He was one of two Spartans with multiple hits, joined by graduate catcher Caleb Berry going 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.
The home run was Sokolove's second overall as a Spartan and ninth of his collegiate career, as he had seven during his three years at Illinois State before transferring to MSU.
"No sir, that's really not my game," Sokolove said when asked about looking to hit a walk-off home run when he came to the plate. "I'm just trying to hit some to the right side of the field and get something going in the inning."
Â
Off the bat, Sokolove and all the players and fans were unsure if it was going to go or not, getting some help from the wind.
"Not necessarily, but I mean, you get it up in the wind and the wind was blowing out that way, it was going to go," Sokolove said about knowing if it was going to go out.
MSU overcame five errors to win.
"Yeah, I feel very fortunate," Boss said about making five errors and still getting the win. "We did not play well and when we get beat, we kind of feel like we beat ourselves. We finally overcame that today, but I would prefer not to make five errors and play a little bit more clean. We are still looking for defensive consistency."
Saturday's win was the first time this season that MSU overcame allowing four or more runs in an inning and still picked up the victory, and the Spartans did so with some pivotal pitching in some tight spots.
Junior starter Joseph Dzierwa went just 4.0 IP with five strikeouts, scattering six hits for six runs, five earned, with two walks. Graduate Zach Maxey came in and picked up three Ks in 2.1 IP, with one hit and two runs. Dzierwa's five strikeouts give him 223 for his career, tying for No. 4 on MSU's career strikeout list, matching Ron Perranoski's 223 Ks from 1956-58.
Senior Dominic Pianto went 1.2 IP with one punchout and one run on three hits. Sophomore Garrett Brewer pitched the final 3.0 IP, with one hit without a run, and ringing up three strikeouts, the third one coming on of the inning-ending variety in the 11th.
MSU not only won the game, but clinched the Big Ten Conference series win after Friday's 11-4 triumph. Saturday's win was the Spartans' fifth-straight victory, improving to 22-15 overall and 8-9 in B1G action.
It is also Michigan State's second-straight series win after winning last weekend's B1G series against Northwestern, and third of the season, with the road series win at Penn State, March 21-23.
Ohio State slid to 9-26 overall and 2-15 in B1G play, being dealt its eighth conference loss in a row, while the Buckeye's two wins were over league co-leader and No. 10 Oregon on March 29. Saturday's defeat leaves OSU still winless in road games at 0-14 overall and 0-11 in B1G away games.Â
MSU has beaten OSU in seven of the last nine meetings and 12 of the last 17 match-ups, including the last two series at home, as the Spartans also hosted the Buckeyes on Easter weekend in 2023, but the three games were played at Jackson Field, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, due to flooding around McLane Stadium and Old College Field.
MSU's Saturday win closes the gap in OSU's overall lead to 146-105-1 in the all-time series that dates back to 1911 and is MSU's second-oldest Big Ten series, now with the 252 games behind the Michigan series with 336 games.Â
Along with Sokolove and Berry's multi-hit outings, senior Sam Busch was just 1-for-4, but it was a big hit, with a two-run home run in the first inning.
Â
Kiss Kiss it goodbye😎
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 19, 2025
393 feet 102 velo!
OSU 0
MSU 2#GoGreen | @Samwbusch pic.twitter.com/1eQ5lRMy5Q
It was Busch's 11th round-tripper of the season and the 25th of his career, taking over sole possession on MSU's career HR list. Now with 11 HR on the year, Busch is the second Spartan to blast double-digit homers in the last three seasons, joining former teammate Brock Vradenburg with 13 HR in 2023.
Busch's home run came in the first inning, as the Spartans scored in the first frame for the second-straight day and third game in row, part of doing so for the fifth time in the last seven games. MSU has now scored in its first at bat of the game 17 times in the 37 games played this season, scoring 46 runs in the first inning out of their 256 total runs, averaging 1.2 runs per game in the first inning.
In addition to Busch's outing at the plate, sophomore infielder Ryan McKay was 1-for-5 with two RBI, coming on a two-run double off the top of the wall in right in the fifth inning.
Junior infielder Randy Seymour was 1-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, which came on a two-run single in the sixth. Sophomore outfielder Parker Picot was 1-for-4 with a run scored and Shannon was 1-for-1 with his home run in the eighth, which was off the foul pole and top of the fence, and was reviewed and confirmed as a home run to tie the game up.
Â
Pinch hit home run to tie the game!!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 19, 2025
OSU 9
MSU 9#GoGreen | @wshannon21 pic.twitter.com/KZtleMW1If
After Busch's homer put MSU ahead 2-0 in the first, OSU countered with four runs on three hits in the second, then two runs on two hits in the fourth, taking advantage of two Spartan errors, to open the 6-2 lead.
McKay's two-ribbie double, along with an RBI groundout by Berry provided MSU's scoring in the fifth. Seymour's two-run single plated two Spartan runs in the sixth, and he stole second, went to third on a throwing error from the OSU catcher and scored on a throwing error by the OSU center fielder to score and put MSU ahead, 8-6.
However, just as quickly as the Spartans took the lead, they relinquished it, as the Buckeyes scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 9-8 advantage, setting up Shannon and Sokolove's homer heroics.
MSU and OSU wrap up the weekend series on Sunday at 1:02 p.m.
The Spartans' schedule is subject to further change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links where available.
This weekend is part of the Spartans' nine-game homestand at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium, which wraps up on Tuesday, April 22 against Purdue Fort Wayne at 6:02 p.m.
Michigan State baseball tickets are available online at msuspartans.evenue.net, by contacting the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information.
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Brewer, Garrett (1-2)
L: Shaw, Hunter (2-4)
Batting:
2B: Lipsey, Trey 1 ; Carpenter, Will 1
3B: Mineo, Sal 1
RBI: Lipsey, Trey 2 ; Ellis, Lee 1 ; Mineo, Sal 2 ; Simpson, Maddix 3
SH: Bussey, Reggie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lipsey, Trey 1 ; Carpenter, Will 1 ; Graveline, Matthew 2 ; Miller, Ryan 1 ; Giamarusti, Nick 1 ; Mineo, Sal 1 ; Simpson, Maddix 2
SB: Pettorini, Tyler 1 ; Graveline, Matthew 1 ; Bussey, Reggie 1
CS: Simpson, Maddix 2
Batting:
2B: McKay, Ryan 1 ; Berry, Caleb 1
HR: Sokolove, JT 1 ; Busch, Sam 1 ; Shannon, Will 1
RBI: Sokolove, JT 1 ; McKay, Ryan 2 ; Berry, Caleb 1 ; Busch, Sam 2 ; Seymour, Randy 2 ; Shannon, Will 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sokolove, JT 2 ; Berry, Caleb 1 ; Busch, Sam 1 ; Williams, Nick 1 ; Picot, Parker 1 ; Seymour, Randy 2 ; Murphy, Dayton 1 ; Shannon, Will 1
SB: Berry, Caleb 1 ; Seymour, Randy 2
CS: Berry, Caleb 1
HBP: Williams, Nick 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
6
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF/INF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
Monday, May 19
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | April 17, 2025
Thursday, April 17
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 25 2025
Tuesday, March 25
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 11 2025
Tuesday, March 11