Michigan State University
Michigan
Spartans Fall For First Time at Home This Season
4/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 19, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball team fell short in its bid to sweep the season series from Michigan, falling 9-2 to the Wolverines on a soggy Sunday (April 19) afternoon at McLane Baseball Stadium. Despite the loss, the Spartans still took their first series from the Wolverines since 2002 after winning games one and two on Friday in East Lansing and Saturday in Ann Arbor.
"Overall, when we look back on it at the end of the year, it was a good weekend," said MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. "We needed a win today to get back into the conference race. We still have an uphill climb and we need to get better and have a good effort next weekend."
Consecutive lead off singles and a walk in the top of the third loaded the bases for the Wolverines and resulted in two runs.
The Spartans totaled four hits and put six runners on base through the first three innings but failed to get any run-scoring hits and left four stranded as the Wolverines took a 2-0 lead into the fourth.
Michigan extended its lead in the fifth with four more runs to take a 6-0 lead. Three consecutive base hits followed by bases-clearing double by Mike Dufek scored the first three runs of the inning. Nick Urban drove in the fourth run of the inning with a deep sacrifice fly to left field.
Eric Roof led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and MSU eventually got on the board with two runs to cut the deficit to 6-2. After a Johnny Lee walk, Eric Roof scored courtesy of a sacrifice fly by his brother, Jonathan Roof. Bo Felt then got hit by a pitch and Jeff Holm walked to load the bases. Another walk to Eli Boike brought in the second run of the inning and kept the bases loaded with two outs. With Seth Williams in to pinch hit, the Wolverines brought in reliever Matt Miller, who got Williams to strike out and end the threat.
U-M put up a solo run in the eighth and then scored twice more in the ninth to make the final 9-2.
"They had a couple of opportunities to make some plays and they made them, and we had a couple opportunities (to make plays) and didn't," said Boss. "That's baseball, that's the way it goes."
Kyle Corcoran (0-4) went four innings for the Spartans and gave up six earned runs off six hits. Kurt Wunderlich was effective in relief of Corcoran, notching six Ks while surrendering one run off three hits.
Eric Katzman, who suffered the loss for Michigan in game one of the series on Friday, started Sunday's game and went 5.2 innings to earn the win.
After playing five games in five days, the Spartans will have a couple days off before heading to Midland on Wednesday, April 22 to take on Central Michigan at 6:35 p.m. at the Dow Diamond.
