University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, May 1
East Lansing, MI
12:05 PM
University of Minnesota
12-30, 2-13
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Michigan State
21-21, 6-9
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Drop Back and Forth Affair to MSU
5/1/2022 3:45:00 PM | Baseball
EAST LANSING, Michigan -- The Minnesota baseball team fell 9-7 to Michigan State on Sunday afternoon in the series finale. The Spartans also won game one, 8-4, and game two, 2-1.
Minnesota led 3-0 before Michigan State (21-21, 6-9 Big Ten) scored four runs off a solo and a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth. The Gophers responded with a four-run inning of their own in the top of the seventh, getting a two-run double from Jack Kelly and an RBI two-bagger from Chase Stanke. The Spartans then responded with four runs in the bottom of the eighth to go up 9-7 and earn the victory.
Gophers (12-30, 2-13 Big Ten) redshirt junior Aidan Maldonado set a new career-high by striking out 10 batters in 5.0 innings. He had eight strikeouts and no earned runs through four before giving up the four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Michigan State used five different pitchers on the game, with reliever Andrew Carson going 4.0 innings with five strikeouts. MSU's Ryan Szczepaniak earned the win and Wyatt Rush earned the save.
Minnesota was paced offensively by Brett Bateman (2-for-3, two runs scored), Boston Merila (2-for-4, RBI) and Chase Stanke (2-for-4, two RBI). Michigan State was led by Trent Farquhar, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.
The 'U' struck immediately in the top of the first, manufacturing a run to get the scoring going. Bateman singled to center to start the game and advanced to second on a poor pickoff attempt by MSU starter Harrison Cook. After Merila singled to left center, Kyle Bork grounded out to the pitcher, and after the out was taken at first, Bateman raced home, sliding in safely to put his team up 1-0.
After holding MSU scoreless for the first two innings, Minnesota struck again in the top of the third. Ronald Sweeny and Bateman each singled to start the frame. Merila then drove in Sweeny with a single of his own, chasing Cook out of the game after just 2.0 innings. After consecutive outs in the middle of the inning, Gophers catcher Chase Stanke hit a two-out single to center, plating Bateman to put the visitors up 3-0.
Maldonado continued to cruise through the middle innings, putting the Spartans down in order in the third and striking out the side in the fourth.
MSU would break through in a big way in the bottom of the fifth. The first run came when Christian Williams homered to left field to start the inning. After a pair of walks issued by Maldonado, Spartans second baseman Trent Farquhar belted a no-doubt, three-run home run to right field to put his team up 4-3.
Minnesota answered back in the top of the seventh, getting an infield single from Noah Berghammer and a walk from Bateman to get a pair of runners on with one out. After a balk from MSU's Kyle Bischoff moved the runners into scoring position, Merila rolled a ground ball to short that scored Berghammer and credited the shortstop with an error. Kelly then delivered the play of the game, a two-run double into deep right center that scored Bateman and Merila. The Gophers weren't done, however, as Stanke laced an RBI double off the wall in left center to restore the Gophers' three-run lead.
The Spartans got one back in the bottom of the seventh. The first two hitters of the frame reached on walks. Redshirt junior right-hander Richie Holetz then came in to pitch for George Klassen. Holetz struck out the first two hitters swinging and nearly had his team out of the jam. The next hitter hit a slow roller to third, and a throwing error by Minnesota allowed a run to score and cut the lead to 7-5.
MSU re-took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. After an infield single started the inning, the next batter hit a chopper to Holetz, who turned and fired to second base to try and turn a double play. A miscommunication in the middle resulted in the ball skipping into center field. After that, a line drive to right field by MSU's Mitch Jebb scored two runs to tie the game, and an error by Andrew Wilhite allowed him to advance to second. A double down the right field line by Farquhar scored Jebb to give the Spartans the lead. Another RBI single plated MSU's ninth run of the afternoon.
The Gophers drew three straight walks to load the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth. With the potential go-ahead run on first, Riley Swenson lined out to the gap in left center field to end the game.
UP NEXT
Minnesota will host Nebraska for a three-game series next weekend at Siebert Field. Game one is at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday.
Minnesota led 3-0 before Michigan State (21-21, 6-9 Big Ten) scored four runs off a solo and a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth. The Gophers responded with a four-run inning of their own in the top of the seventh, getting a two-run double from Jack Kelly and an RBI two-bagger from Chase Stanke. The Spartans then responded with four runs in the bottom of the eighth to go up 9-7 and earn the victory.
Gophers (12-30, 2-13 Big Ten) redshirt junior Aidan Maldonado set a new career-high by striking out 10 batters in 5.0 innings. He had eight strikeouts and no earned runs through four before giving up the four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Michigan State used five different pitchers on the game, with reliever Andrew Carson going 4.0 innings with five strikeouts. MSU's Ryan Szczepaniak earned the win and Wyatt Rush earned the save.
Minnesota was paced offensively by Brett Bateman (2-for-3, two runs scored), Boston Merila (2-for-4, RBI) and Chase Stanke (2-for-4, two RBI). Michigan State was led by Trent Farquhar, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.
The 'U' struck immediately in the top of the first, manufacturing a run to get the scoring going. Bateman singled to center to start the game and advanced to second on a poor pickoff attempt by MSU starter Harrison Cook. After Merila singled to left center, Kyle Bork grounded out to the pitcher, and after the out was taken at first, Bateman raced home, sliding in safely to put his team up 1-0.
After holding MSU scoreless for the first two innings, Minnesota struck again in the top of the third. Ronald Sweeny and Bateman each singled to start the frame. Merila then drove in Sweeny with a single of his own, chasing Cook out of the game after just 2.0 innings. After consecutive outs in the middle of the inning, Gophers catcher Chase Stanke hit a two-out single to center, plating Bateman to put the visitors up 3-0.
Maldonado continued to cruise through the middle innings, putting the Spartans down in order in the third and striking out the side in the fourth.
MSU would break through in a big way in the bottom of the fifth. The first run came when Christian Williams homered to left field to start the inning. After a pair of walks issued by Maldonado, Spartans second baseman Trent Farquhar belted a no-doubt, three-run home run to right field to put his team up 4-3.
Minnesota answered back in the top of the seventh, getting an infield single from Noah Berghammer and a walk from Bateman to get a pair of runners on with one out. After a balk from MSU's Kyle Bischoff moved the runners into scoring position, Merila rolled a ground ball to short that scored Berghammer and credited the shortstop with an error. Kelly then delivered the play of the game, a two-run double into deep right center that scored Bateman and Merila. The Gophers weren't done, however, as Stanke laced an RBI double off the wall in left center to restore the Gophers' three-run lead.
The Spartans got one back in the bottom of the seventh. The first two hitters of the frame reached on walks. Redshirt junior right-hander Richie Holetz then came in to pitch for George Klassen. Holetz struck out the first two hitters swinging and nearly had his team out of the jam. The next hitter hit a slow roller to third, and a throwing error by Minnesota allowed a run to score and cut the lead to 7-5.
MSU re-took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. After an infield single started the inning, the next batter hit a chopper to Holetz, who turned and fired to second base to try and turn a double play. A miscommunication in the middle resulted in the ball skipping into center field. After that, a line drive to right field by MSU's Mitch Jebb scored two runs to tie the game, and an error by Andrew Wilhite allowed him to advance to second. A double down the right field line by Farquhar scored Jebb to give the Spartans the lead. Another RBI single plated MSU's ninth run of the afternoon.
The Gophers drew three straight walks to load the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth. With the potential go-ahead run on first, Riley Swenson lined out to the gap in left center field to end the game.
UP NEXT
Minnesota will host Nebraska for a three-game series next weekend at Siebert Field. Game one is at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Szczepaniak,Ryan (4-1)
L: Holetz, Richie (1-3)
S: Rush,Wyatt (2)
Batting:
2B: Kelly, Jack 1 ; Stanke, Chase 1
RBI: Merila, Boston 2 ; Kelly, Jack 2 ; Bork, Kyle 1 ; Stanke, Chase 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Bateman, Brett 3 ; Merila, Boston 1 ; Kelly, Jack 1 ; Berghammer, Noah 1 ; Sweeny, Ronald 1
SB: Sweeny, Ronald 1
PO: Sweeny, Ronald 1
Batting:
2B: Farquhar,Trent 1 ; Kark,Dillon 1
HR: Farquhar,Trent 1 ; Williams,Christian 1
RBI: Jebb,Mitch 2 ; Farquhar,Trent 4 ; Mayes,Casey 1 ; Williams,Christian 1
SH: Broecker,Bryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jebb,Mitch 2 ; Farquhar,Trent 3 ; Williams,Christian 1 ; Kark,Dillon 2 ; Walker,Zaid 1
SB: Mayes,Casey 1 ; Ahn,Peter 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
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RBI
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5
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1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
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H
2
RBI
2
rf/3b
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
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INF
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RHP
/ BaseballC/OF
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RHP
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RHP
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INF
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C
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OF
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