Michigan State University
Central Michigan
Baseball Tops Central Michigan in Slugfest, 13-10
3/31/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 31, 2010
LANSING, Mich. - In a game that featured scoring in all but one inning, the Michigan State baseball team defeated Central Michigan, 13-10, on Wednesday afternoon at Cooley Law School Stadium. The Spartans got a solid outing from freshman starting pitcher Tony Wieber, who earned his first collegiate win and helped MSU extend its winning streak to 11 games. MSU is now 17-4 - its best start since the 1992 season.
For the sixth consecutive game, the Spartans got on the board in the first inning. With two outs, Ryan Jones sent a Matt Faiman offering over the head of CMU center fielder Billy Anderson, for a two-run double.
The Chippewas got the two runs back though in the top of the second with a two-out out, two-RBI home run off the bat of Sam Russell.
After Central grabbed a 3-2 lead in the top of the third inning, the Spartans exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the frame. With two runners on and CMU's Dietrich Enns on in relief, Chris Roberts doubled to right field to reclaim the lead for MSU, 4-3. A walk and error led to another MSU run, and then a bunt single by Andy Johnson and a double by Eli Boike brought in two more runs. Jonathan Roof ended the scoring in the inning with a two-RBI single up the middle to make the game 9-3.
"It was nice to have some success in that inning," said MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. "It was a good day to hit and a tough day to pitch with the wind blowing out. Anytime you put a big number up like that it kind of lets your starter know that he maybe doesn't have to be as fine with his pitches. It gives everybody a little bit of breathing room."
CMU scored twice and MSU once in the fifth inning before the teams traded solo runs in the sixth to make the score 11-6.
Roof and Jones each collected their third RBIs of the game in the seventh inning to extend the Spartans' advantage to 13-6. Jones finished the game 4-for-5 while Roof went 3-for-5.
After pushing across two more runs in the eighth inning, the Chips put two runners on with one out when William Arnold singled in a run to cut the deficit to 13-9. Sam Russell followed with an RBI-groundout to make it a three-run game. With a runner at third and two outs, Spartan closer Kurtis Frymier ended the threat on the next at-bat, getting Ricky Clark to ground out and end the game.
Wieber went six complete innings for the Green and White, allowing six runs off eight hits. He also struck out three and walked two.
Starter Matt Faiman (0-1) took the loss for CMU, which is now 11-10.
The Spartans will return to action on Friday at McLane Baseball Stadium when they begin a three-game series with Iowa at 3:05 p.m.
