Michigan State University
Ohio State
Ohio State Rallies To Defeat Spartans, 9-8
4/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 16, 2011
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Michigan State baseball team held leads of 4-0 and 7-4 over Ohio State on Saturday, but the Buckeyes scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth to rally past the Spartans, 9-8, to even the series at one game apiece. MSU (22-9, 6-2 Big Ten) and OSU (14-15, 4-4) will meet in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium; first pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.
The Spartans jumped on Buckeye starter Brett McKinney for four runs in the first inning as Torsten Boss hit his first career grand slam and third homer of the season. Brandon Eckerle, the Big Ten's leading hitter, went 3-for-5 in the game and led off the game with a double to center field. Ryan Jones was then hit by a pitch and Jeff Holm walked to load the bases for Boss. Jared Hook kept it going for MSU with a double and moved to third on a groundout, but couldn't score after a foul out and a grounder ended the inning, which would prove to be costly for MSU.
The 4-0 lead was short lived, however, as Ohio State responded with one run in the bottom of the first and three in the second to tie the game at 4.
Michigan State scored three runs in the top of the fourth to go back up 7-4. Jeff Kinley reached first on a one-out single, stole second, and came home on a Jones RBI double to left. The hit extended Jones' career-high hitting streak to 20 games. The Spartans then took advantage of an error by Buckeye left fielder David Corna, as he misplayed a fly ball hit by Boss that ended up scoring Jones and Holm on the play.
Once again, the Buckeyes bounced back by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take an 8-7 lead. Ohio State knocked out Spartan starter Tony Bucciferro after he gave up four hits and a walk in the inning. Bucciferro, who had allowed just one earned run in 17 2/3 innings during Big Ten play entering Saturday, was charged with eight runs, all earned, on 10 hits against the Buckeyes.
The Spartans tied the game at 8 in the sixth, but it could have been worse for Ohio State. Eckerle led off with an infield single and moved to third after a successful hit-and-run off the bat of Jones. With runners on first and third and no outs, Holm, the No. 3 hitter in the lineup, hit into a 5-4-3 double play that scored Eckerle but effectively ended the threat of a big inning.
The Buckeyes caught another break in the top of the seventh. The Spartans loaded the bases with one out on three walks in the inning, and were looking to break the 8-8 tie when Kinley hit a slow grounder to OSU second baseman Ryan Cypret. Cypret tossed the ball to shortstop Tyler Engle for the force out, but Justin Scanlon was then also called for runner's interference on the play as he slid into second, ending the inning for Michigan State.
Junior Tim Simpson, who came in to relieve Bucciferro in the fourth, shut down the Buckeye lineup for most of his outing, but gave up the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Engle led off the inning with an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a Tim Wetzel RBI single to right field. Simpson (0-1) suffered the hard-luck loss although he struck out four and allowed just one run on six hits in his 4 1/3 innings.
In the ninth, pinch-hitter Andy Johnson was hit by a pitch with one out and was replaced by pinch-runner Grant Newsome at first. With two outs in the inning, Newsome attempted to take second on a pitch that was in the dirt, but was thrown out at second to end the game.
Michigan State collected nine hits in the contest and left seven runners on base, while Ohio State racked up 16 hits and left six on.
Southpaw reliever Andrew Armstrong (1-0) earned the win for Ohio State after striking out Holm to end the eighth and Boss to lead off the ninth. Jared Strayer got his second save of the season for getting the final two outs.
