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Western Michigan
Spartan Baseball Cruises Past Western Michigan, 10-1
4/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 9, 2008
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KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Junior Kyle Day went 2-for-3 with a home run and scored four runs and junior Eric Roof went 3-for-4 with four RBI to lead the Michigan State baseball team to a 10-1 win at Western Michigan Wednesday afternoon. Senior right-hander Ryan MacFarlane (1-0) pitched six strong innings, allowing just one run, to earn the win. MSU has won five of its last seven games.
Day reached base in each of his four plate appearances, also drawing a walk in the top of the seventh inning. His homer, the Fort Wayne, Ind., native's fourth in five games, gave MSU a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning. Eric Roof delievered MSU's biggest blow, a three-run double in the fifth.
"Today was a great win, combining the three elements of good baseball - great pitching, hitting and defense," head coach David Grewe said. "We had a lot of guys step up and contribute. Now we need to continue to build on this success, and I think we will."
MacFarlane, making his second start of the season, scattered six hits over his six inning and struck out five with no walks.
"I was so proud of the way Ryan pitched," Grewe said. "He stepped up for us and did an awesome job. Overall, we got great pitching from everybody today."
Michigan State (12-14) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Day singled to lead off the inning, and later with one out, a double by Eric Roof put runners on second and third. After a Bronco strikeout, Eckerle sent a dribbler to WMU third baseman Kyle Gendron, who overthrew first base to allow Day and Eric Roof to score.
The Broncos pulled to within 2-1 on a solo homer to left by Zach Gentile in the third, but that would be as close as they would come.
MSU scored two runs in the fourth and Eric Roof's three-run double in the fifth put the Spartans ahead 7-1. The Spartans added a pair of runs in the seventh on an RBI groundout by Eric Roof and an RBI single off the bat of freshman Brandon Eckerle.
An RBI single by junior Johnny Lee in the ninth inning rounded out the scoring.
Eckerle finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. Four relievers combined to throw three shutout innings for the Spartans. Western Michigan (15-10-1) was led by Gentile's 3-for-4 day. Matt Abro also had two hits for the Broncos.
Michigan State hosts a four-game set against Ohio State beginning Friday, April 11 at 5:05 p.m. at Oldsmobile Park.
NOTES
MacFarlane picked up his second career victory. Both have come against Western Michigan...Day, who hit six home runs in his first 108 games as a Spartan, has five homers over the past 23 contests...Day is slugging .952 with a .480 on-base percentage over the last six games...Eric Roof is batting .500 (9-for-18) with seven RBI over the last seven games ... Freshman Jeff Holm made his collegiate debut, pinch-hitting in the eighth inning and playing first base. He walked in his lone plate appearance...Michigan State is now 5-0 against Western Michigan under David Grewe.
