Michigan State University
Michigan
Baseball Stymies Michigan, 3-1
4/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 18, 2009
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A.J. Wolff
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - MSU starter A.J. Achter and relievers A.J. Dunn and Peter Wolff combined to limit Michigan to just four hits to help the Michigan State baseball team defeat the Wolverines, 3-1, on Saturday (April 18) at the Wilpon Complex. It marks the Spartans' second-straight win over the Wolverines and their first victory in Ann Arbor since 2004.
"Our kids showed a lot of heart today, it was a big win," said MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. "We've struggled on the road lately and to come in here and play well in front of a big crowd today was good for our guys' confidence."
Despite no hits, the Spartans managed to take 1-0 lead in the third inning. Jeff Holm led off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice hit. With Holm on third and two outs, Michigan starting pitcher Alan Oaks was called for a balk, bringing in Holm and giving MSU a 1-0 lead.
Achter struggled through the first two innings and while he kept the Wolverines hitless, he issued a total five walks and hit one batter. Twice, with the bases loaded and two outs, Achter was able to get inning-ending ground balls to keep U-M off the board.
The Wolverines got the first hit of the game in the third - a two-out RBI single from Chris Berset that scored Nick Urban to knot the game at one.
In the top of the fifth, MSU finally solved Oaks and got its first hit of the day, sparking a two-run, two-out rally. With Holm at second, courtesy of another walk, Eli Boike doubled to right center, scoring Holm to regain the lead for MSU, 2-1. A.J. Shindler kept the rally alive with a single and then Chris Roberts followed with another base hit to right center field that scored Boike and made the score 3-1.
With two runners in scoring position in the sixth, the Spartans had a golden opportunity to extend their lead but Oaks got back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
The Wolverines responded in their half of the sixth by also getting two runners on. With two outs and Wolverines on first and second, A.J. Dunn entered in relief of Achter and got Anthony Toth to ground out and end the inning.
Achter settled after the second inning and gave up just two hits from then on and finished with five strikeouts in 5.2 innings to earn the win and improve to 2-3.
A leadoff double to start the Michigan eighth again put the Wolverines in position to cut the deficit but Dunn followed by retiring the next three batters to get out of the inning. Holm, playing first base, made the defensive play of the game for MSU with a leaping stab for the second out of the inning to help keep the Wolverines off the board.
"A.J. Dunn did a really nice job for us out of the bullpen," Boss said. "He pitched very well."
Spartan closer Peter Wolff came on in the ninth and got Toth to strike out looking for the first out of the inning. After a walk and ground out, Kevin Cislo walked to put two on with two out, but Wolff got Urban to line out to second base and end the game. For Wolff, it was his fourth save of the year and first since March 25 against Western Michigan.
"I was just trying to execute my pitches," said Wolff. "I didn't want to get caught aiming the ball and have it end up over the fence."
MSU will look for the three-game sweep on Sunday (April 19) when the two teams meet at 1:05 p.m. at McLane Baseball Stadium.
