April 16, 2004

Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. - In what should have been a pitching duel between the No. 1 pitchers from Michigan State and Ohio State Friday, April 16, at Kobs Field, both teams combined for 17 runs and 25 hits as the Spartans downed the Buckeyes, 10-7. The Spartans home winning streak stretched to 12 games while their record improved to 18-12 and a conference-leading 7-2 in the Big Ten. OSU dropped to 14-14 and 5-4 in league play in a game that featured four lead changes and two ties.

Spartan starter Bryan Gale (Decatur, Mich.), who came into the game needing only three wins to become MSU's all-time leader, looked stellar in the first two innings, recording four strikeouts and not letting Ohio State take advantage of two Spartan fielding errors in the second. The Green and White, however, scored one run in the first and two in the second to grab a 3-0 lead. Oliver Wolcott (Plymouth, Mich.) continued his offensive brilliance at the two hole, pulling the first pitch into the trees lining the Red Cedar River in right field for a solo home run in the first. James Moreno (Holt, Mich.) then led off the second with a single and Sean Walker (Round Lake, Ill.) got aboard with a single of his own to put runners at first and second. With two outs, Alan Cattrysse (Chatham, Ont.) came through with a two-run triple to right center.

Oliver Wolcott hit a solo home run in the first to give MSU the early lead. He went 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI to open the series against Ohio State Friday.

The Buckeyes responded with back-to-back solo blasts in the top of the third to reduce the MSU lead to 3-2 and took the lead in the fifth with two runs off three hits and a wild pitch, Gale's first of the year. Wolcott would see to it that OSU's lead would not stand, leading off the bottom of the fifth with a double and scoring with help from two Buckeye miscues. Ohio State regained the lead with a leadoff homer by Cody Caughenbaugh in the sixth but once again saw it disappear when the Spartans returned to the plate. Ryan Basham (Lowell, Ind.) led off with a single and was moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Walker. Troy Krider (Coldwater, Mich./DeKalb, Ind.) placed a single through the middle to put runners at the corners and following a walk to Cattrysse to load the bases, OSU starter Josh Newman would take a seat in place of Jesse Paciorek. While Paciorek struck out Wolcott for the inning's second out, Travis Gulick (East Lansing, Mich.) welcomed the OSU reliever to the slugfest, sending a 2-2 pitch to center for a bases-clearing double, giving the Spartans a 7-5 advantage.

Amazingly, Ohio State stayed with the Big Ten leaders step-for-step as they tied the game back up with another homer in the seventh, this time a two-run shot by Jedidiah Stephen. Gale retired the last hitter he faced on strikes to end the inning as he completed his afternoon giving up seven runs on nine hits. However, MSU's strikeout king posted at least one K in each inning for a total of 11, including striking out eight of the nine Buckeye hitters at least once.

Michigan State took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh, making sure Gale would receive the 27th win of his career - two short of the record - and third of the season (3-1). Moreno got things going with a one-out double and Walker drove him in with two outs on a double as well. E.J. Daws (Bozeman, Mont.) came in to pinch-run for Walker and eventually crossed home as Troy Krider laced a single through the left side off new OSU pitcher Trent Luyster. Wolcott and Gulick combined for the Spartans' final run in the eighth when Wolcott led off with his second double of the game and Gulick sent a single to center for his fourth RBI on the day and a 10-7 MSU lead.

Adam White (Jenison, Mich.) relieved Gale in the eighth and faced only seven Buckeyes in two innings for his second save of the year. White shined immediately, striking out two in the eighth and after two more MSU fielding errors in the ninth, used a double play and a ground out to end any chance of an OSU comeback.

Following Friday's Big Ten action, the Spartans maintain a one-game lead over Minnesota (17-12, 6-3) and Michigan (17-12, 6-3). Erik Morris (Orchard Lake, Mich.), Wolcott, Gulick, Moreno, Walker and Krider made sure the Spartans remained on top as they recorded at least two hits apiece while Scott Koerber (Harper Woods, Mich.), Basham and Cattrysse also notched a base hit in a 16-hit effort for MSU, its second-best output for the 2004 campaign (17 vs. Western Illinois).

Michigan State and Ohio State will meet up for a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. and conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m.