Michigan State Spartan Baseball Suffers Another Loss In Florida
After starting the season red-hot, the Michigan State baseball season suffered another loss on Sunday that saw their season record fall to 9-6. The terrific MSU SID for baseball Zack Fisher has the latest on Sunday’s loss:
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Michigan State baseball concluded its Cox Diamond Invitational action with a 5-3 loss to Samford Sunday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
MSU is now 9-6 with the loss, while Samford moves to 12-2 with the win. The Spartans ended the Cox Diamond Invitational action with a 1-2 mark, beating Troy 1-0, Friday night, before falling to Louisiana, 6-3, Saturday. Samford finished the weekend 2-1.
The Spartans out-hit the Bulldogs, 11-5, but left eight runners on base. Meanwhile, four of Samford's five runs were scored when the leadoff hitter reached on either a walk or a hit-by-pitch, while the fifth was a home run.
"I thought it unfortunate for us that we couldn't take advantage of the opportunities that we had," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I thought we had some good at bats and put ourselves in the position to score numerous times, but unfortunately couldn't get it done, and, they were kind of the opposite. I thought we did a really good job of limiting their opportunities, but they took advantage of the opportunities that they did have. So, that's the way the baseball is. We'll have a good week of practice and get ready to go next week."
Sophomore outfielder Zaid Walker and sophomore infielder Brendan Regan were both 3-for-4, with Walker scoring a run, while Regan had two RBI, and had a triple. Sophomore catcher Scott Combs was 2-for-4, while senior outfielder Bryce Kelley, sophomore infielder Peter Ahn and freshman outfielder Jack Frank were 1-for-4.
Samford got on the board first, scoring on sacrifice fly in the second stanza. The Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead in the third, plating a pair of runs on a two-run home run by Sonny DiChiara down the left field line that was ruled just fair over the foul pole.
Michigan State got a run back in the fourth, as Frank reached on a fielder's choice, and Regan followed by smacking a triple down the right field line and into the corner to cut the gap to 3-1.
Samford countered with a run in the fifth and another in the seventh for a 5-1 lead.
The Spartans rallied in the eighth as junior Justin Antoncic walked and Walker doubled to right. Regan followed by reaching on an infield single and a throwing error allowed Antoncic to score from third and Walker to scamper around to home, pulling the Spartans within, 5-3.
That would be closest MSU would get, ending the game and the Spartans' weekend.
With its Spring Break trip concluded, Michigan State returns home to East Lansing after its 10-day road trip. The Spartans will practice this week, then head to Terre Haute, Indiana for a weekend series with Indiana State, Friday-Sunday, March 13-15. Friday's series opener is slated for a 3 p.m. start time, while Saturday's middle game has a 2 p.m. first pitch and Sunday's finale is 1 p.m.
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