Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Purdue
Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short For MSU Baseball
4/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 23, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A ninth-inning rally fell one-run short for the Michigan State baseball team Friday at Purdue, as the Spartans dropped the opening game of the four-game series, 3-2. After being held scoreless for eight frames, MSU (19-16, 7-6 Big Ten) pushed across two runs in the top of the ninth, but the Boilermakers (17-17, 7-6) held on for the win.
Purdue starting pitcher Scott Byrnes breezed through the first eight innings, allowing just three hits while striking out a career-high 11 hitters. But with one out in the ninth, Byrnes walked Erik Morris (Orchard Lake, Mich.) and gave up a double to James Moreno (Holt, Mich.), and was replaced by Trae Dauby. Morris scored on a groundout by Ryan Basham (Lowell, Ind.), and Sean Walker (Round Lake, Ill.) followed with a single through the left side, trimming the margin to 3-2. But Dauby got pinch-hitter David Miller (Whitehall, Mich.) to pop up to shortstop to end the game.
Byrnes allowed two earned runs on four hits and four walks over 8.1 innings to improve to 3-3. He struck out 10 hitters in the first five innings, including five straight during the first and second innings. Dauby picked up his third save of the year.
The loss ruined a solid effort by Bryan Gale (Decatur, Mich.), who went the distance on the mound for MSU, allowing three runs, all earned, on seven hits. Gale struck out nine hitters and did not issue a walk, although he did hit two batters.
Moreno had two of MSU's five hits, with Morris, Basham and Walker picking up the other three.
Through the first three innings, both pitchers had faced the minimum number of hitters. Gale allowed singles in the second and third innings, but the first runner was thrown out trying to steal second, and the second was gunned down by Basham, the leftfielder, trying to stretch a single into a double.
After going down in order again in the fourth, MSU had a golden opportunity to break through in the fifth when Morris and Moreno started the inning with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. But Basham popped out for the first out, and Walker struck out with Moreno stealing second on the play. Byrnes got out of the inning by striking out Adam Tripp.
Gale got out of a jam of his own in the bottom of the fifth, after giving up a one-out triple to Simon Klink. Gale struck out Eric Osborn and Andy Dahl to end that threat.
Purdue finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth, when Gale started the inning by hitting the No. 9 hitter, Mitch Koester. After a sacrifice moved Koester to second, Mitch Hilligoss belted a double to deep center, driving home Koester with the game's first run. Gale avoided further trouble by striking out Ben Fritz and John Hunter.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Basham just missed a home run, doubling off the centerfield wall, but was stranded when Walker and Tripp were retired.
Purdue added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Koester led off the inning with a single to center, and after a sacrifice moved him into scoring position, Hilligoss struck again, drilling his first home run of the season over the centerfield fence to give the Boilermakers a 3-0 lead.
The Spartans and Boilermakers will play a doubleheader tomorrow (Saturday, April 24) beginning at 1 p.m. Central time.
