Michigan State University
Northwestern
Baseball Rallies Past Northwestern, 2-1
5/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 21, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Michigan State baseball team scored one run in the eighth and another in the ninth to rally past Northwestern, 2-1, Friday afternoon at Rocky Miller Park.
With the victory, Michigan State improves to 34-18 on the year, tying the 1987 team for the fifth most wins in program history. The Spartans also move to 11-12 in conference play to stay alive in the race for the Big Ten Tournament; the top six teams in the league standings advance to Columbus, Ohio, next week.
The game was primarily a pitcher's duel between MSU's Kurt Wunderlich and Northwestern's Francis Brooke.
The Wildcats (23-30, 12-11 Big Ten) scored the game's first run in the bottom of the third on a Chris Lashmet RBI single to center field, but it was all they could muster against the Spartans.
MSU finally broke through and got to Francis in the eighth. Brandon Eckerle led off with a single to center, then advanced to third on a pinch-hit single through the right side by Jordan Keur. Northwestern made a pitching change following Keur's single, bringing in Paul Snieder from first base. The first batter Snieder faced, Ryan Jones, dropped a bunt single that plated Eckerle to tie the game at 1.
Wunderlich held off the Wildcats in his eighth and final inning, leaving the score at 1 apiece entering the ninth. The junior from Des Peres, Mo., was dominant in getting his eighth win of the season, allowing just four hits and walking only one.
In the ninth, a pair of seniors teamed up to stage the game-winning rally. Chris Roberts reached first on a one-out walk and scored one batter later as Eli Boike hit a double to left field for his 48th RBI of the season.
Kurtis Frymier relieved Wunderlich in the ninth and retired the Wildcats in order to seal the win for the Spartans. It gave Frymier his eighth save, which now ties him for third most in an MSU single season.
Michigan State and Northwestern will meet in the regular-season finale Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
