University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Falls to Michigan State in Series Finale
4/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Minnesota baseball team (10-12, 2-4) lost the series finale 6-4 to Michigan State (20-7, 5-1) at McLane Stadium in East Lansing on Sunday, Apr. 10. With the loss, the Spartans finished a three-game sweep over the Gophers.
Minnesota was led by redshirt freshman Dan Olinger (Great Falls, Mont.) who went 3-for-4 with two RBI. AJ Pettersen (Minnetonka, Minn.) also went 3-for-5 with a stolen base, while Kyle Geason (Eden Prairie, Minn.) went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Justin Gominsky (Mahtomedi, Minn.) was also 1-for-5 with a stolen base, a double and two runs.
Tom Windle (Maple Grove, Minn.) took the loss to fall to 2-1, as he gave up four hits, two runs, one walk and struck out one in relief. Junior Austin Lubinsky (La Crosse, Wis.) started and got a no-decision as he gave up six hits, two earned runs, did not walk a batter and struck out four in five innings of work. Scott Matyas (North Prairie, Wis.) pitched 1.1 shutout innings and struck out three of the four batters he faced.
Tony Wieber picked up the win in relief to move to 3-0, as he gave up three hits, one run, one walk and struck out one in two innings. Bryce Jenney pitched a perfect ninth to collect his third save of the season. David Garner started and picked up a no-decision as he gave up six hits, three runs, three walks and five strikeouts in six innings.
Minnesota got on the board first with a single run in the top of the first inning to go up 1-0. Pettersen led off with a single, but was wiped out at second after a fielder's choice ground out by Gominsky. After Gominsky stole second, Olinger had an infield hit to push him to third. Nick O'Shea (Blaine, Minn.) plated Gominsky with a sacrifice fly to give the Gophers their first lead of the series.
Michigan State tied the game at 1-1 with a single run in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Justin Scanlon struck out but advanced to first on a passed ball. Jordan Keur made it first and third when he reached on an error by the third baseman. Joel Fisher plated Scanlon with an RBI single to tie the game.
The Spartans moved ahead 2-1 with a single run in the bottom of the third. Brandon Eckerle and Ryan Jones led off with consecutive singles to make it first and third with no outs. Jeff Holm lifted a pitch to center field that was lost in the sun and landed for a single. Holm passed Jones on the basepaths and was called out, but not before Eckerle came home to score a run to give Michigan State the lead.
Minnesota tied the score at 2-2 in the top of the fourth when Andy Henkemeyer (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) drew a two-out walk and scored an RBI double by Geason. Michigan State answered back with a single run in the bottom of the fourth when Jeff Kinley plated Scanlon with a two-out RBI single to give the Spartans the lead back at 3-2.
The Gophers got a single run back in the top of the fifth to tie it at 3-3. Ryan Abrahamson (Oakdale, Minn.) led off with a walk, and Pettersen singled to move pinch-runner Troy Larson (Maplewood, Minn.) to second. With one out, Olinger delivered an RBI single to plate Larson. Garner got O'Shea to foul out and struck out Bobby Juan (La Crosse, Wis.) to get out of the inning.
Michigan State got a single run in the bottom of the fifth to move ahead 4-3. Ryan Jones was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and moved to second with one out on an errant pickoff attempt by Lubinsky. With two outs, Jared Hook delivered an RBI single to plate Jones to put the Spartans back up 4-3.
In the top of the seventh, Minnesota tied the score at again at 4-4 when Gominsky delivered a two-out double and came home on an Olinger RBI single.
The Spartans took the lead for good when Holm delivered a two-run homer, his second of the series, with one out in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-4. Wieber pitched a scoreless eighth and Jenney closed it out in the ninth.
Michigan State was led by Holm who was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Jones also went 2-for-4 with two runs, while Fisher was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Scanlon also went 1-for-3 with two runs.
Minnesota will be back in action against St. Thomas at Siebert Field on Wednesday, Apr. 13 at 3:05 p.m. The Gophers will then host Northwestern at Target Field on Friday, Apr. 15 at 3:05 p.m., Saturday, Apr. 16 at 1:05 p.m. and Sunday, Apr. 17 at 1:05 p.m.
Minnesota was led by redshirt freshman Dan Olinger (Great Falls, Mont.) who went 3-for-4 with two RBI. AJ Pettersen (Minnetonka, Minn.) also went 3-for-5 with a stolen base, while Kyle Geason (Eden Prairie, Minn.) went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Justin Gominsky (Mahtomedi, Minn.) was also 1-for-5 with a stolen base, a double and two runs.
Tom Windle (Maple Grove, Minn.) took the loss to fall to 2-1, as he gave up four hits, two runs, one walk and struck out one in relief. Junior Austin Lubinsky (La Crosse, Wis.) started and got a no-decision as he gave up six hits, two earned runs, did not walk a batter and struck out four in five innings of work. Scott Matyas (North Prairie, Wis.) pitched 1.1 shutout innings and struck out three of the four batters he faced.
Tony Wieber picked up the win in relief to move to 3-0, as he gave up three hits, one run, one walk and struck out one in two innings. Bryce Jenney pitched a perfect ninth to collect his third save of the season. David Garner started and picked up a no-decision as he gave up six hits, three runs, three walks and five strikeouts in six innings.
Minnesota got on the board first with a single run in the top of the first inning to go up 1-0. Pettersen led off with a single, but was wiped out at second after a fielder's choice ground out by Gominsky. After Gominsky stole second, Olinger had an infield hit to push him to third. Nick O'Shea (Blaine, Minn.) plated Gominsky with a sacrifice fly to give the Gophers their first lead of the series.
Michigan State tied the game at 1-1 with a single run in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Justin Scanlon struck out but advanced to first on a passed ball. Jordan Keur made it first and third when he reached on an error by the third baseman. Joel Fisher plated Scanlon with an RBI single to tie the game.
The Spartans moved ahead 2-1 with a single run in the bottom of the third. Brandon Eckerle and Ryan Jones led off with consecutive singles to make it first and third with no outs. Jeff Holm lifted a pitch to center field that was lost in the sun and landed for a single. Holm passed Jones on the basepaths and was called out, but not before Eckerle came home to score a run to give Michigan State the lead.
Minnesota tied the score at 2-2 in the top of the fourth when Andy Henkemeyer (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) drew a two-out walk and scored an RBI double by Geason. Michigan State answered back with a single run in the bottom of the fourth when Jeff Kinley plated Scanlon with a two-out RBI single to give the Spartans the lead back at 3-2.
The Gophers got a single run back in the top of the fifth to tie it at 3-3. Ryan Abrahamson (Oakdale, Minn.) led off with a walk, and Pettersen singled to move pinch-runner Troy Larson (Maplewood, Minn.) to second. With one out, Olinger delivered an RBI single to plate Larson. Garner got O'Shea to foul out and struck out Bobby Juan (La Crosse, Wis.) to get out of the inning.
Michigan State got a single run in the bottom of the fifth to move ahead 4-3. Ryan Jones was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and moved to second with one out on an errant pickoff attempt by Lubinsky. With two outs, Jared Hook delivered an RBI single to plate Jones to put the Spartans back up 4-3.
In the top of the seventh, Minnesota tied the score at again at 4-4 when Gominsky delivered a two-out double and came home on an Olinger RBI single.
The Spartans took the lead for good when Holm delivered a two-run homer, his second of the series, with one out in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-4. Wieber pitched a scoreless eighth and Jenney closed it out in the ninth.
Michigan State was led by Holm who was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Jones also went 2-for-4 with two runs, while Fisher was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Scanlon also went 1-for-3 with two runs.
Minnesota will be back in action against St. Thomas at Siebert Field on Wednesday, Apr. 13 at 3:05 p.m. The Gophers will then host Northwestern at Target Field on Friday, Apr. 15 at 3:05 p.m., Saturday, Apr. 16 at 1:05 p.m. and Sunday, Apr. 17 at 1:05 p.m.
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