Spartan Baseball Outlast Michigan, 13-10
![Spartan Baseball Outlast Michigan, 13-10 Spartan Baseball Outlast Michigan, 13-10](https://www.si.com/.image/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/MTYyNzQzMzMxMjM4NTg2MjA5/0511-base.jpg)
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![Trey Popp earns the win in relief. Photo courtesy of MSU SID.](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTYyNzQzMzMxMjM4NTg2MjA5/0511-base.jpg)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - In the only meeting of the regular season, the Michigan State baseball team defeated Michigan, 13-10, on Wednesday night in Ann Arbor. The two teams combined for 31 hits in the 3:46 game. The win improved MSU’s record to 30-16 – marking the school’s first 30-win season since 2004.
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“It was a classic mid-week battle,†said MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. “Fortunately, we were able to walk out of here with a win and I think our younger guys learned a lot today.â€
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Torsten Boss got things going early for MSU as he turned around a Matt Miller delivery for his fourth home run of the year.
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The first three hitters reached base for the Wolverines in the bottom of the first as the pushed across two runs to take a 2-1 lead.
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After Michigan made it 4-1 with two runs off three hits in the bottom of the second, the Spartans roared back in the top of the third with four runs to reclaim the lead. Ryan Jones and Jonathan Roof each singled to start the inning and then with one out, Jeff Holm doubled to deep left center to score both and cut the deficit to one. Chris Roberts then tied it with a double that scored Holm.
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Eli Boike then made it three consecutive RBI hits when he singled to score Roberts and give MSU the lead, 5-4.
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A solo shot by UM’s Coley Crank tied the game in the bottom of the third, before MSU fought back again in the top of the fourth. With Seth Williams at second and Boss on first with one out, Roof grounded into what looked to be an inning-ending double play, but an errant throw by UM third baseman John Lorenz allowed Williams to score.
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In the next at-bat, Holm made it 7-5 with a sacrifice fly.
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The seesaw affair continued in the bottom of the fourth frame when Crank hit his second home run of the game – a three-run shot that gave the Wolverines back the lead, 8-7.
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Boike led off the fifth with a solo home run, staring another rally that led to the fourth lead change of the game and a 12-8 Spartan lead. MSU went on to score four more runs in the frame, highlighted by a huge two-out, three-RBI double by Roof.
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Michigan did its part to keep the scoring going in the bottom of the fifth as they scored twice to slice the MSU lead to 12-10. With two outs and Ryan LaMarre on first and Anthony Toth on second, the Wolverines appeared score again when Crank singled to left field. With Toth heading toward home, Felt threw to Jones at second, who tagged out LaMarre for the final out of the inning before Toth could touch home.
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A two-out RBI single by Jones in the sixth extended the MSU lead to 13-10.
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 Trey Popp came on in relief for MSU with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning. He went on to pitch 3.2 innings and allowed no runs off four hits while striking out five Wolverines as he improved to 3-2.
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Kurtis Frymier pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second consecutive save and seventh of the season.
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“Both Trey and Kurtis were great today,†said Boss.
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Four pitchers saw action for Michigan in the game and it was Kolby Wood who took the loss. Wood allowed four runs in the fifth inning.
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Jones and Brandon Eckerle led MSU at the plate as each had three hits.
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“We grinded it out today,†Boss said. “We had a better approach today than maybe we have had in the last two weeks.â€
The Spartans will host their final home series of the year this weekend as they take on Indiana. Game one will be Friday at 2:05 p.m. at McLane Baseball Stadium. All three games will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.