Michigan State University
Toledo
MSU Offense Erupts Against Toledo, Spartans Beat Rockets, 23-4
4/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 26, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State (20-18) baseball wasted no time Wednesday afternoon at Kobs Field, scoring eight runs in the first inning en route to a 23-4 win over Toledo (20-18). Eight Spartans recorded multi-hit games as MSU pounded out a season-high 22 hits. Steve Gerstenberger and Alan Cattrysse each collected four hits, while Jamey Embree hit his third home run of the season and tallied five RBI on the day.
"We went up to the plate and were very aggressive," MSU head coach David Grewe stated. "This is a good win to go into a big weekend against Michigan with. We need to stay as aggressive in all of our conference games as we do our non-conference games."
Michigan State made short work of Rocket starter Mark Ellis, tagging the sophomore right-hander for eight runs on seven hits in first inning before Toledo could even record the second out of the game.
Reliver Greg Gompf was able to stop the bleeding briefly, working his way out of the first and through the second without further damage, but the Spartans caught up with him in the third and added seven more to their total. Embree's homer was the big blow, a three-run shot to right field.
The Green and White continued to rough up the Rocket pitching staff, posting three runs in the fifth, a score in the sixth and four runs in the seventh, as four more pitchers took the hill for Toledo.
The Spartans also used several pitchers on the day, but for much different reasons. After starter Chris Cullen (3-1) had the win locked up, allowing just one run on one hit in 4.0 innings pitched, Grewe gave his bullpen a workout and five MSU hurlers got an inning of work apiece to close out the game.
Ellis (0-2) was hit for the loss for Toledo.
Michigan State will look to continue its hot hitting this weekend as it faces rival Michigan, in a four-game Big Ten series matchup. The two teams will split venues, with single-game contests in Ann Arbor on Friday and Sunday while playing Saturday's doubleheader at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing. Saturday and Sunday's games will be televised on Comcast Local.
