Michigan State University
Northwestern
MSU Baseball Splits At Northwestern
5/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 14, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. - Both Michigan State and Northwestern were led to victory by its starting pitcher, as MSU split Sunday's doubleheader with the Wildcats. NU took game one, 7-0, behind a no-hit performance by Dan Brauer. The Spartans rebounded in game two, behind the left arm of John Dwan, who pitched six scoreless innings in a 6-2 win. MSU (24-26, 11-16 Big Ten) will look to split the series with Northwestern (21-29, 18-9) on Monday, with game four scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.
After suffering the no-hit setback in game one, Michigan State regrouped and pounded out six runs on 12 hits in game two. The Green and White built a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Sean Walker got things going with a leadoff double and Alan Cattrysse singled to score Walker, but later would be caught stealing. Jamey Embree drew a walk and Adam Tripp cracked a base hit to give MSU two base runners and both scored after back-to-back singles by Oliver Wolcott and Troy Krider.
The Green and White doubled its lead in the seventh inning. With the bases loaded, Ryan Basham ripped a two-run single and Walker followed in the next at bat with an RBI single.
Having shutout the Wildcats for the first six innings, Northwestern's Caleb Fields finally got to Dwan in the bottom of the seventh, hitting a two-run homer to left field.
Dwan struck out 10 on the day - a career best and the second-highest total of the season by a Spartan pitcher, trailing only to Craig Brookes' 12 strikeouts in game one of the series on Saturday. The win improved his record to 2-5 on the year.
Dwan stranded a total of nine Wildcats on base, three of those coming in the fifth inning. A pair of singles and a walk with one out loaded the bags for NU, but the junior southpaw caught the next two batters looking, recording the final two outs on strikeouts.
Walker finished the game 3-for-3 from the plate for MSU, while Krider and Wolcott each had two hits apiece.
George Kontos (2-9) took the loss for the Wildcats, allowing six runs on 12 hits and three walks in 7.0 innings pitched.
Jeff Gerbe (4-6) was tagged with the loss in game one for Michigan State, surrendering seven runs on 12 hits in 5.0 innings. Brauer's record improved to 6-1.
