EAST LANSING– Michigan State Baseball was defeated by Northwestern 11-10 in a wild 11 inning marathon. The loss was MSU’s 5th in a row coming off the midweek loss to Central Michigan.
Sophomore Logan Pikur got the start for the Spartans on the mound, while graduate student Sam Hliboki got the nod for the Wildcats.
Northwestern got the jump on the Spartans, scoring two runs in the first courtesy of a single by sophomore outfielder Jackson Freeman and an error by sophomore right fielder Parker Picot.
MSU quickly responded, as senior infielder Sam Busch tied the game with a two-run blast over the right field fence. The second inning proved to be the deciding factor in the loss.
With the bases loaded, Pikur allowed a run to score on a balk. Junior infielder Owen McElfatrick then hit a single into left, and a missed ball error would allow two more runs to score. A sac fly would then give the Wildcats a four-run lead.
In the top of the third, more miscues would hurt the Spartans. After an infield single and a throwing error, another balk, this time by sophomore Tate Farquhar, would make it 7-2.
It would remain a five-run game until graduate catcher Caleb Berry drove in a run on an RBI single to cut into the deficit. The Spartans failed to capitalize on a bases loaded opportunity. The Wildcats would quickly respond in the sixth, as McElfatrick would drive in two more runs on a double into right center.
In the bottom of the 7th, the Spartans would draw closer. With the bases loaded, Busch would drive in two runs on an RBI single to make it 9-5. However, with the tying run at the plate, junior shortstop Randy Seymour hit into an inning ending double play.
In the 8th inning, the Spartans staged an epic rally to take the lead. After two hit batters and a walk, senior outfielder JT Sokolove made it a 9-6 game with an RBI single, which would be the only hit in an inning that saw five runs scored.
Sophomore infielder Ryan McKay drew a four pitch walk to make it a two-run game. Berry then hit into a fielder’s choice to cut the Northwestern lead to one. With Busch at the plate, a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by graduate senior Crawford Wade tied the game and moved the go ahead run to third base. Busch would give the Spartans the lead on a sacrifice fly, his fifth RBI of the game.
However, the Spartans lead would be very short lived, as Northwestern would tie the game in the top of the ninth when sophomore infielder Ryan Kucherak led off the inning with a solo home run off of graduate senior Tyler Horvath. The game would go into extra innings. The Spartans had the winning run in scoring position in the bottom of the tenth but were unable to capitalize.
In the top of the eleventh, the Wildcats would take the lead on an RBI single by sophomore catcher Joshua Ramos. This would prove to be the winning run as the Spartans would go down in order in the bottom of the inning.
Wade was credited with the win, while Horvath took the loss for the Spartans. Northwestern improved to 16-15 and 7-6 in conference play, while the Spartans fell to 17-15, and 4-9 in Big Ten play. The series continues Saturday and Sunday at McLane Stadium.
