University of Minnesota Athletics
Baseball Begins Big Ten Season With Sweep of Michigan State
3/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
After only scoring one run in the first game, the second match-up saw the Michigan State bats ready for production. The Spartans jumped to an early 7-0 lead in the first inning with eleven batters coming to the plate. Michigan State then added another run in the second to take an 8-0 advantage.
Minnesota cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second inning. First baseman David Roach (Clearwater, Fla./Clearwater) started the comeback with a single to left field. Left fielder Matt Fornasiere (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) then doubled to right center to put runners on second and third. David Hrncirik (Madison, Wis./West) grounded out to short, but drove in Roach to put Minnesota on the board. Fornasiere tallied the second run on an Andy Hunter (St. Paul, Minn./Sibley) single up the middle. Hunter was followed by catcher Jake Elder (Delta, B.C./North Delta) doubling down the left line to again put runners on second and third. Centerfielder Sam Steidl (Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria) then drove a single up the middle to score Hunter and Elder and move the score to 8-4.
Michigan State added another run in the fourth to go up 9-4, but Minnesota took the lead with six runs in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Ben Pattee (Ukiah, Calif./Mendocino J.C.) hit a double and advanced to third on an error by the Spartan right fielder. Next up, Luke Appert (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park-Cottage Grove) drove in Pattee with his 12th double of the season. Appert then scored on a single to left field by shortstop Scott Welch (Missoula, Mont./Loyola Sacred Heart), with Welch coming home on a hit up the middle by Fornasiere. With the bases loaded, Hunter stepped up to the plate and smashed a double to right center. The hit cleared the bases, scoring Roach, Fornasiere and Hrncirik and gave the Gophers a 10-9 lead.
Michigan State trailed by two, 11-9, in the top of the seventh and scored a run in the inning, but fell short of a victory. Freshman Brian Bull (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep) nabbed the win to move to 3-1 on the season. Bull allowed two runs on six hits in five innings of relief. Jeff Moen (Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska) pitched the seventh inning to earn his second save of 2003.
Hunter was the top Minnesota batter in the second game, going 2-for-3 with four RBI and a run. Pattee, Fornasiere and Elder also each totaled two hits in the game with Fornasiere also scoring two runs. Steidl and Hrncirik both drove in two runs, while Jon Becher (Plato, Minn./Iowa Central C.C.) scored two himself.
The first game featured senior righthander C.J. Woodrow (Plymouth, Minn./Maple Grove) throwing the first complete game of the season for a Minnesota pitcher. The defending Big Ten Pitcher of the Year tossed seven innings, scattering four hits with one earned run while striking out four. The win marked Woodrow's sixth consecutive conference victory, his last loss coming against Penn State Apr. 14, 2002.
In the first contest, the Minnesota bats were led by Welch and Fornasiere. Welch went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Fornasiere got the Golden Gophers on the board with a three-run double in the first inning and ended the game going 2-for-3 at the plate. Roach added two runs for Minnesota.
On the weekend, Minnesota outscored Michigan State 31-19, tallying 43 hits to the Spartans' 33. The Golden Gophers also hit an impressive 15 doubles in the series. This is the first time Minnesota has swept a Big Ten opening series since facing Michigan in 2000.
The Golden Gophers will continue their Big Ten season traveling to Michigan to face to Wolverines in a four-game series Apr. 4-6.
