Michigan State University
Purdue
Dwan Tosses A One-Hitter In Saturday Split With Purdue
4/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 8, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Michigan State baseball dropped game one of Saturday's doubleheader in West Lafayette, Ind., 6-1, but rode the coattail of southpaw John Dwan in game two as the Spartans picked up the twin bill split with a 4-0, one-hit shutout over Purdue. The Green and White (14-12, 4-3 Big Ten) will look for a win on Sunday to earn the four-game series split with the Boilermakers (16-9, 4-3).
The complete seven-inning game, one-hit shutout was Dwan's (1-2) first win of the year. Untouched through the first four innings, Purdue's Kyle Reesing finally managed to get a hit off of MSU's junior left-hander, hitting a sharp grounder up the middle. Dwan would go on to retire the last seven batters, striking out six and walking just one on the day.
"We had our backs against the wall in game two, and we really needed to go out there and get the win," MSU head coach David Grewe stated. "I'm very proud of the way John (Dwan) put the team on his back and threw an exceptional game."
Troy Krider led off the game with a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error. E.J. Daws pushed Krider to the corner with a sacrifice bunt and Kyle Day drove Krider in with a sacrifice fly to give the Spartans a 1-0 advantage in the first. MSU manufactured another run in the second inning to jump out to a 2-0 lead.
With two runners aboard in the seventh inning, Steve Gerstenberger stepped up in his only at bat, after having replaced Quinn Ewert at first base the previous inning, and smacked a two-run single to center field, doubling the Spartan lead. Striking out two of the final three batters, Dwan sealed the 4-0 win.
Allowing all four MSU runs on five hits, Purdue starter Brent Coudron (2-3) suffered the loss.
In game one of Saturday's double dip, State couldn't get the offense going, and the ball seemed to bounce the other way, as the Spartans fell 6-1. Much like game two, MSU put a run on the board in its opening at bat, but that stood to be the only score the Green and White would tally in the game. Krider reached on a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Daws and crossed the plate a batter later, as Ryan Basham singled through the right side.
With a 1-0 lead in the second, several Spartan miscues would be their downfall as Purdue cashed in for a five-run inning. A hit batsman and a throwing error accounted for two Boilermaker base runners, and Mitch Hilligoss collected two RBI with a double down the left field line. Two singles, a double and a throwing error later, MSU found itself down 5-1.
Producing a run on a walk and two hits, Purdue scored again in the fourth inning. With little going at the plate for Michigan State, the Spartans fell by a final score of 6-1.
Starting pitcher Jeff Gerbe dropped to 3-3 with the loss, allowing six runs, three earned, on nine hits in 5.1 innings. Dan Sattler (3-3) earned the win for Purdue, surrendering just one run on five hits.
