Spartan Baseball Wins By A Thrilling Walk-Off Home Run
The Spartans started the season on fire before they lost a doubleheader yesterday. Today they got back on the winning side of the ledger with a thriller, walk-off homerun win. Zach Fisher the Spartans terrific SID has this recap of the game:
Ahn’s Walk-Off Home Run Propels Wild 15-14 Victory For MSU In 10 Innings
Redshirt-freshman’s blast to right-center gives Spartans win in Greenville.
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Peter Ahn’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning boosted Michigan State baseball to a wild, 15-14 win over Merrimack Sunday afternoon at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive.
Ahn blasted the second pitch he saw from Merrimack relief pitcher Jake Thibault off the top of the wall in right-center and into the bullpen beyond the wall, sparking the Spartans’ celebration, as he was met at home plate by the rest of his jubilant teammates.
“I’m proud of our guys for continuing to battle. There was a situation where they could have folded when we gave up the lead, but they didn’t do that, they got it right back, even though Merrimack tied it in the ninth,” MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. “Peter was able to put a good swing on a good pitch, and fortunately for us, it went out of the ballpark. He’s really an athletic kid with a bright future ahead of him, and it was neat to see him get the walk-off home run to win the game.”
Ahn’s walk-off was a high blast to the deep right-center of Fluor Field, which has the same specifications as Fenway Park, as the Drive are a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
“That was really exciting! I’d had a tough weekend at the plate until today, so I just made sure to keep grinding and see the pitch that I wanted,” Ahn said. “I was screaming at it and just trying to will it over the fence, and it worked out; it was great!”
Not only did it work out for Ahn’s first home run as a Spartan, but it was also his first walk-off home run at any level of his baseball career.
“I was elated when it went over, I was just looking back at all the guys coming out of the dugout and at Coach Boss at third, and I was pumped,” Ahn said. “It was great getting mobbed at home, there’s nothing like it.”
Ahn, a Spartan redshirt-freshman infielder, ended the game 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored.
Senior infielder Bailey Peterson continued his hot streak, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI, adding three walks on the day. Peterson went 12-for-17 (.706) for the four-game series over the weekend, finishing with at least two hits in each game, including going 5-for-5 in Friday’s opener. Peterson is now hitting .613 (19-for31) for the season with three doubles, one triple, and 14 RBI, adding five stolen bases.
Sophomore outfielder Casey Mayes had two hits and four RBI, including a two-run home run going opposite field over the Green Monster in the third, part of his four RBI and run scored on the afternoon.
Despite wearing jersey No. 3, deuces were wild for fellow sophomore outfielder Zaid Walker, who also had two hits, both of which were two-baggers, with two RBI and two runs scored, along with a stolen base, one of the five swipes in the game for the Spartans.
Senior designated hitter Andrew Morrow added a hit to go with an RBI and two runs scored, adding a walk, while fellow senior Bryce Kelley also had a base hit, with two runs and an RBI, also swiping a base. Along with Kelley, Ahn and Walker, redshirt-freshman catcher Gabe Sotres and sophomore infielder Trevor Hopman also had a stolen base.
Sophomore infielder Brendan Regan and freshman pinch-hitter Jack Frank added a hit apiece, with Frank adding an RBI and Regan posting a run scored.
Junior pitcher/third baseman Zach Iverson started on the mound Sunday afternoon, making his first career start as a Spartan hurler, going 4.0 IP with five strikeouts, scattering seven hits while yielding five runs, three earned, and two walks. After being relieved in the fifth inning, Iverson played third for the rest of the game, drawing a pair of walks at the plate and scoring two runs.
Iverson was one of six Spartan pitchers to face Merrimack, along with junior Wyatt Rush (1.0 inning), redshirt-freshman William Christophersen (1.0 IP), senior Caleb Sleeman (0.2 IP), freshman Adam Berghorst (2.1 IP) and redshirt-freshman Brian Martin (1.0). Martin got the win for his first as a Spartan in his second outing for the Green & White.
“Our pitchers did a nice job today,” Boss said. “We asked a lot out of a couple guys with Caleb Sleeman and Adam Berghorst pitching on short rest, and Zach Iverson making his first career start. So we asked those guys to do a lot of things and in some different roles. Then for Brian Martin to come in at the end and get his first win as a Spartan, I’m really, really happy for him. He got himself into a jam late, but then got himself out of a jam late, and held it right there to give us a chance to win late.”
Michigan State is now 5-3 on the season with the late win, while Merrimack is also 5-3 on the season.
The Warriors won the series, after winning Friday’s series-opener 9-6 in 11 innings, to go with Saturday’s twinbill sweep, winning 3-1 and 7-5.
Michigan State returns home to East Lansing Sunday night for classes and practice, before returning to Greenville next weekend to host the four-team First Pitch Invitational, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 28-March 1, facing Kansas on Friday at 1 p.m., followed by Western Carolina on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Ball State on Sunday at 6 p.m.
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