Michigan State University
Indiana
Baseball Falls to Indiana on Walk-Off Home Run
5/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 14, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana's Jerrud Sabourin hit a two-out, two-run home run to snap a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning as IU downed the Michigan State baseball team, 6-4, in game one of a three-game set on Thursday (May 14) afternoon in Bloomington, Ind.
After Spartan pitcher A.J. Dunn was able to get the first two hitters, Chris Hervey walked after an eight-pitch at-bat and Sabourin followed with his fifth home run of the year.
The loss drops MSU to 22-28 and 12-10 in the conference, while Indiana, who is one place ahead of the Spartans in the conference standings, improves to 27-24 and 15-6 in the league.
With the game scoreless in the top of the third, the Spartans scored courtesy of a home run from an unexpected source. Eli Boike hit a one-out single through the middle and then senior A.J. Shindler followed with his first-career home run to put MSU on the board.
With two outs, Eric Roof reached on an error to keep the inning alive and the Spartans made the Hoosiers pay. Fellow senior Johnny Lee drove in Roof with a double to left-center field and Jonathan Roof followed with a single up the middle to score Lee and double MSU's lead to 4-0.
Vince Gonzalez got a run back for IU in the bottom of the third with a solo home run off Spartan starter Nolan Moody.
Moody responded and returned to form in the fourth with two strikeouts and was helped out with solid Spartan defense that turned double plays in fifth and sixth innings.
The Hoosiers eventually got to Moody in the seventh. After a single and double, a foul out to right field scored a run, and A.J Dunn replaced Moody on the mound. With a man on third, Josh Phegley, the first batter Dunn faced, homered to right field to knot the game at four.
Moody scattered seven hits over 6.2 innings and struck out three in the no-decision. After picking up wins in two of his last three outings, Dunn suffered the loss to fall to 2-3.
IU's Chris Squires (2-2) earned the win in relief.
The two teams will meet again on Friday (May 15) with first pitch set for 3 p.m.
Game Notes: Eight of nine Spartan hitters picked up hits in the game...Brandon Eckerle went 0-for-2 on the day, snapping a seven game hitting streak.
