Spartan Baseball's Big Sixth Inning Leads To Win Over Miami, 11-5

 Spartans score six runs in the sixth inning to go 2-1 on the weekend. GREENVILLE, S.C. -The Michigan State baseball team broke a 5-5 tie in the sixth inning

 

Spartans score six runs in the sixth inning to go 2-1 on the weekend.

GREENVILLE, S.C. -The Michigan State baseball team broke a 5-5 tie in the sixth inning with six runs and went on to defeat Miami (Ohio), 11-5, on Sunday (Feb. 21) afternoon in Greenville, S.C. Down 5-2 in the fi fth inning, the Spartans scored three runs to tie the game before going ahead for good in the sixth.

 

 

“We started slowly and in all phases, but Kurt Wunderlich settled down and we stayed the course and got on track,” said MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. “Our guys stayed into the game mentally and it paid off .”

The Spartans are now 2-1 after college baseball’s opening weekend, while Miami is 1-2.

“Overall, I think we’re pleased with how we played this weekend,” said Boss. “We would like to be 3-0. We played a lot of young guys that handled themselves very well this weekend and we’re happy with that.”

After fi ghting back to tie the score at fi ve, the Spartans completed their comeback in the sixth inning with six runs – keyed by a grand slam off the bat of Chris Roberts. Roberts’ blast to right fi eld made it 10-5 and then Jonathan Roof followed one batter later with a solo home run that cleared the left fi eld wall and made the score 11-5.

“That was certainly the big inning for us and Chris’ home run was the diff erence,” Boss said.

Th e RedHawks jumped out to a 4-0 lead with one run in the fi rst and three more in the second. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the second and no, outs MSU got its fi rst runs of the game, courtesy of Torsten Boss and a Miami error. Boss reached on a fi elder’s choice and then Miami shortstop Brad Gschwind’s error allowed another Spartan run to score and cut the Miami advantage to 4-2.

With Miami leading 5-2 in the bottom of the fi fth inning, Michigan State began its comeback with three runs. With Ryan Jones and Brandon Eckerle on base, senior Eli Boike drove in Jones with a single through the right side to get things going. A Roberts groundout then scored Eckerle one batter later to make it a one-run game. Later in the inning with two outs, Boike touched home to tie the game at five when Jeff Holm doubled him in.

After giving up the four runs over the fi rst three innings, starter Kurt Wunderlich shutdown the RedHawks over the next three innings before Trey Popp took over in the seventh inning. Wunderlich gave up three earned runs off seven hits while fanning three to earn the win.

Jamall Hollis (0-1), who came on for the RedHawks in relief in the critical sixth inning, suff ered the loss.

Th e Spartans will resume play next weekend when they take part in the second annual BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge. MSU will meet Seton Hall at 10 a.m. on Friday (Feb. 26) in St. Petersburg, Fla., in its fi rst game of the challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Roberts had five RBI on Sunday. Photo courtesy of the MSU SID