Michigan State University
Michigan
Baseball Drops Big Ten Series Finale To Michigan, 13-5
5/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May. 1, 2005
LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team suffered a 13-5 loss to Michigan to end its Big Ten series at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing, Mich. With the loss, MSU falls to 17-22 (6-10 Big Ten), while Michigan improves to 26-12 (7-9 Big Ten).
Michigan State opened the scoring with four runs on only one hit to take a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Senior first baseman Erik Morris (Orchard Lake, Mich.) started the rally with his first career triple and scored on an RBI groundout by sophomore left fielder Ryan Basham (Lowell, Ind). Sophomore designated hitter E.J. Daws (Bozeman, Mont.) drew a run-scoring walk and freshman center fielder Ryan Sontag (Monroe, Mich.) brought home a run on a fielder's choice. Sophomore catcher Kris Morris (Jenison, Mich.), who earlier earned a walk in the inning, scored on a throwing error by the Wolverines.
Michigan cut its deficit in half at 4-2 in the fourth inning behind an RBI sacrifice fly by sophomore Eric Rose and a run-scoring single by senior Matt Butler. The Wolverines dropped MSU's lead down to 4-3 in the fifth inning on junior A.J. Scheidt's RBI sacrifice fly to right field, scoring senior Kyle Bohn, who reached on a leadoff single.
UM used a nine-run rally in the seventh inning to take a commanding 12-4 lead, highlighed by a two-run homer by junior Jared Kunkel, who also hit a triple earlier in the inning.
The Spartans dropped UM's advantage down to 12-5 in the eighth inning. Freshman second baseman Steve Gerstenberger (Fort Gratiot, Mich.) lined an RBI single to right field, scoring junior third baseman Alan Cattrysse (Chatham, Ont.), who reached on a single with one out.
Michigan scored the game's final run in the ninth inning on Bohm's run-scoring single, plating freshman Doug Pickens, who walked to lead off the frame.
Kunkel went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three runs batted in to lead Michigan offensively, while Bohm was 4-for-5 with three RBI. Freshman Brad Seddon (1-0) earned the win for the Wolverines after allowing only one run on four hits in six innings of relief.
Erik Morris finished the game hitting 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead Michigan State. Junior Chris Toepper (1-1) took the loss for the Spartans, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits in three innings of work.
Michigan State opens a four-game Big Ten series at Indiana, beginning May 7 at 3 p.m.
