Late Rally Comes Up Short as Lugnuts Top Spartans, 4-3
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MSU scores two in the top of the ninth, but Lugnuts hold on for victory in exhibition game.
LANSING, Mich. – In the first-ever Crosstown Showdown, the Lansing Lugnuts held on to defeat Michigan State baseball team, 4-3, before a festive crowd of 6,223 fans Tuesday night at Oldsmobile Park. The Spartans scored two runs in the top of the ninth to make things interesting, but couldn’t come up with a game-tying hit with runners on first and second. MSU battled all game, and even out-hit the Lugnuts, 8-3.
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"What a great night for Michigan State baseball," said MSU head coach David Grewe. "It was a great turnout and an awesome atmosphere. Everyone was up the whole game and the bench had a lot of fun. More importantly, all the position players had a chance to get in the game. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I just thank the Lansing Lugnuts for the opportunity to play."
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Down 4-1 in ninth, the Spartans rallied for two runs on three hits, led by a pair of walk-ons. Kyle Kunkel, a walk-on catcher who entered the game in the bottom of the eighth at left field, led off with a walk. He advanced to second on a Sean Walker single, and an Evan Friedland single through the right side loaded the bases with no outs. E.J. Daws followed with a sacrifice fly to center, plating Kunkel to make it 4-2. After a MSU strikeout, Nate Yahn – a sophomore walk-on catcher – came to pinch-hit with two outs and runners on first and second. Yahn, in his first at-bat as a Spartan, delivered a clutch single to left, bringing the Spartans to within one run at 4-3.
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The Lugnuts responded by bringing in their closer, Julio Pinto. Pinto faced walk-on outfielder Kyle Hurtt, and although Hurtt battled to a full count and then fouled three straight pitches with two strikes, he finally succumbed to Pinto with a strikeout.
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MSU used 10 pitchers in the game, and although the staff gave up just three hits to the Class A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, it did allow 12 walks.
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Lansing got on the board first, scoring a run in the third on a Scott Campbell RBI single to center.
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MSU tied the game in the fourth. Eli Boike led off with a double to left, advanced to second on a Walker flyout to center, and scored on a Friedland RBI groundout to second.
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In the fourth, the Lugnuts took advantage of a Spartan error to score two runs, taking the lead, 3-1. With two outs and runners on first and second, Yuber Rodriguez hit a single to left, but instead of just one run scoring, the Spartan leftfielder misplayed the ball, allowing two runs to score and putting Rodriguez on third.
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The Spartans return to action for a home Big Ten series against Purdue this weekend at Kobs Field.
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Props to Ben Phlegar the MSU SID.
