EAST LANSING- After dropping the first game of their weekend set on Friday at McLane Stadium, MSU baseball looked to bounce back on Saturday afternoon in the middle game of the three game series.
Nick Powers took the bump for the Spartans, making his 7th start of the season.
Powers was excellent on the day going seven innings while only allowing two runs on seven hits.
He had two strikeouts and allowed one walk on the day as well, leading the Spartans to a 5-2 victory
“I thought Nick was great, really good,” head coach Jake Boss said after the game.
“He was in command of the strike zone all day long, he was throwing three pitches for strikes, and that’s what Nick does.”
Michigan State got the scoring going in the third inning off a long three run bomb into the Red Cedar River by Jack Frank, his third home run of the season, giving MSU an early 3-0 lead.
“Approaching every day or at bat the same way, whether it’s good or bad, can’t be result oriented,” Jack Frank said.
“Yesterday wasn’t as good of a day for me, but at the end of the day, that’s baseball . . . Just keep doing the same things day in and day out and I think good outcomes come to you.
Frank’s homer was his first since March 3rd against Western Michigan and he indeed to his team high 21 RBIs on the season.
Rutgers would strike back with runs in the fifth and sixth on a home run by Johnny Volpe and a sacrifice fly by Pete Durocher, cutting the Spartans lead down to 3-2.
MSU was able to get an insurance run back in the bottom half of the sixth, on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ryan Seymour.
The offense continued in the seventh as Sam Thompson led off with a double, and was eventually driven in by Frank on a single for his fourth RBI of the afternoon.
Ryan McKay would ground into a double play with the bases loaded to end the inning, holding the MSU lead at 5-2.
Aaron Mishoulam came on for the Spartans in relief of Powers, and would retire the Scarlet Knights in order in the top of the eighth.
Mishoulam faced some trouble in the ninth allowing an infield single, and another base runner on an error by Seymour at shortstop, but held onto the pick up the six out save, securing the victory for Michigan State, and earning Nick Powers his fourth win of the season.
“You know what you’re getting, he’s gonna show up, he’s gonna do his thing every time,” said Frank, reflecting on Powers’ start.
The Spartans evened up the series with the win, and improved their Big Ten record to 2-3, and overall record to 11-14.
Michigan State will go for the series win in the rubber match on Sunday, with Nick Ferazzi on the mound.
Zack Konstantinovsky will be making the start for Rutgers.
“Kinda the same approach as today, they’re good, that’s a good team over there,” Boss said.
“We need to take advantage of opportunities when we do get them.”
An Easter Sunday first pitch is set for 1:05 PM EST, as MSU will look to take the series against the Scarlet Knights.
