Michigan State University
Penn State
Spartans Cruise Past Penn State, 12-1
5/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 1, 2009
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Live Audio of Saturday's Dedication and Game
EAST LANSING,Mich. - Nolan Moody struck out a career-high nine and the Spartans scored 12 runs off 13 hits in a 12-1 rout over Penn State on Friday (May 1) afternoon at McLane Baseball Stadium in game one of a three-game set. Moody worked eight innings and gave up just two hits to improve to 6-4 on the year.
"I had a really good slider today and that is my strikeout pitch, so it's nice when that is going," Moody said. "I had a great bullpen session before the game started and it translated out onto the field, which is always good."
MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr., was impressed with Moody's effort.
"Nolan threw very well tonight," Boss said."He is a fierce competitor and we know he is going to give it everything he's got every time he takes the mound."
Moody cruised through the first two innings before surrendering a solo home run to PSU's Bobby Jacobs in the third.
Penn State starter T.J. Macy also worked through the first two innings with ease, giving up his first hit of the day with a leadoff single by Jeff Holm in the third. Boike later drove in Holm with a single up the middle to tie the game at one.
MSU took the lead in the fourth, courtesy of a double from Holm. With one out, Jonathan Roof nearly grounded into a double play but ended up reaching on a fielder's choice to keep the inning alive. Holm then drove him in the next at bat.
The Spartans then broke the game open in the fifth with five runs - all with two outs - to go ahead 7-1. Boike picked up his second hit of the day with a double to get things started and then scored when Chris Roberts singled him home.
Two consecutive walks by Macy led to two more runs as Jonathan Roof cashed in with a two RBI single. Bo Felt reached on an error to keep the inning alive that brought in Roof for the final run of the inning.
"We keep preaching to our guys to keep playing hard and good things are going to happen," said Boss about the Spartans' five-run inning with two outs.
Roberts tacked on two more for MSU in the sixth with a towering two-run shot over the right field fence to make it a 9-1 game.
Brandon Eckerle, who went 3-for-5, picked up an RBI in the seventh and then MSU got two more to close out the scoring in the eighth as Holm picked up his second RBI of the game and Bo Felt also drove in a run.
MSU (19-24, 9-7) will dedicate McLane Baseball Stadium on Saturday prior to its 1:05 p.m. game with a ceremony beginning at 11:55 a.m. Saturday's pregame program will feature Elizabeth and Drayton McLane, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, members of the Board of Trustees, Athletics Director Mark Hollis, head coach Jake Boss Jr. as well as several former Spartans.
Live audio of Saturday's game and pre-game ceremony will be available at MSUSpartans.com.
