Michigan State University
Furman
Spartan Baseball Remains Undefeated, Tops Furman, 7-3
2/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 26, 2011
GREENVILLE, S.C. - For just the seventh time in program history, the Michigan State baseball team is 5-0 to start a season after the Spartans topped Furman, 7-3, Saturday afternoon at the First Pitch Invitational held at Fluor Field. MSU slugged out a season-high 16 hits and Tony Bucciferro pitched 7.1 innings to earn the win for MSU.
After four scoreless innings, Furman (4-3) was the first team to put runs on the board with two in the bottom of the fifth.
MSU responded with a run in the sixth, as Jeff Holm hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Torsten Boss, who led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a passed ball.
The Spartans took the lead for good in the seventh, plating four runs to take a 5-2 advantage. Andy Johnson delivered an RBI single to score Justin Scanlon, Ryan Jones hit a two-run double down the left-field line to score Brandon Eckerle and Andrew Carpenter, and Boss finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly that brought home Jones.
"Ryan Jones really came through for us with a big double in the seventh and that really broke things open for us," said Spartan head coach Jake Boss. "The first half of the game felt like a carry-over from last night, we just couldn't get a productive hit. Once Ryan got that hit, we really got going."
Michigan State tacked on two more in the eighth as Boss and Jones both hit RBI singles.
Freshman David Garner relieved Bucciferro in the eighth after the Paladins had already scored a run in the inning. Garner picked up his first collegiate save, striking out three batters in his 1.2 innings to preserve the win.
"I thought Tony pitched very well today," said Boss. "He got ahead in the count early, and that allowed him to get all the way into the eighth.
"David's a special talent and has a really live arm. He got out of a lot of trouble, just like last week."
Eckerle continued his torrid start to the season by going 3-for-4 in the game, and is now 15-for-20 (.750) through five games in 2011. Jones also had three hits and three RBIs, while Boss, Holm and Scanlon each collected two hits.
The Spartans will put their undefeated record on the line Sunday against No. 6 Clemson (4-1) at 1 p.m.
"It's a big day tomorrow," said Boss of facing sixth-ranked Clemson, who advanced to the College World Series last season. "But at the same time, it's early in the season, and we have a lot to work on. We're going to bring a workman-like attitude and control what we can control. It will be a great atmosphere and a great opportunity for us."
NOTES:
MSU also won its first five games of the season in 1964, 1947, 1946, 1941, 1936 and 1915...MSU started out the 1970 season 5-0-1, but tied the second game...Michigan State started out the 1964 season 7-0...the best start in MSU history came in 1946 when the Spartans started out 11-0 under John Kobs...MSU was 6-0 to start out in 1947, 5-0 in 1941, 5-0 in 1936 and 5-0 in 1915.
