Spartans Bow Out of Big Ten Tourney With Loss to Illinois
Spartans Bow Out of Big Ten Tourney With Loss to Illinois
MINNEAPOLIS - The Michigan State baseball team’s run in the 2015 Big Ten Tournament came to an end Friday night with a 2-0 loss to top-seeded Illinois at Target Field in Minneapolis. The Illini scored the only two runs of the game in the third inning on a two-out, bases-loaded single.
Illinois (47-7-1) pitcher John Kravetz limited the potent Spartan offense to six hits in tossing a complete-game shutout.
The Spartans are now 34-23 and will wait to see if they receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The field for the 2015 tournament will be announced Monday at Noon on ESPNU.
“John Kravetz was really good. We had an opportunity early and didn’t capitalize on it. They had an opportunity and were able to capitalize and that turned out to be the difference in the ballgame,†MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr., said. “It was a great effort by our guys. We showed a lot of character and just couldn’t quite get over the hump.
“I believe that we didn’t play our last game of the season tonight and I’m excited to watch the (NCAA) selection show on Monday because I think this group should be – and deserves to be – playing in the NCAA Tournament.â€
Illinois scored the game’s only runs in the top of the third inning, taking advantage of a two-out MSU error. An error sandwiched between two walks loaded the bases for the Illini and Jason Goldstein capitalized with a shot into shallow left field that plated both runs.
The Spartans’ best scoring opportunity early in the game came in the bottom of the second inning as they got back-to-back singles by Ryan Richardson and Brandon Hughes to start the frame. But Kravetz didn’t allow anything further to keep MSU off the scoreboard.
Kravetz got a double play to end the third inning starting a string of nine consecutive Spartans retired.
The Spartans’ final push came in the bottom of the ninth inning as Richardson (error) and Hughes (single) both reached base with two outs. However, Kravetz was able to induce a fly ball off the bat of Chad Roskelly to end the game.
MSU reliever Walter Borkovich took over for starter Anthony Misiewicz in the third inning and did his part to keep it a two-run game. He went on to toss a career-high 6.1 innings, allowing just two hits.
“I was just trying to keep us in the game and give us a chance,†Borkovich said.
The Illini nearly extended their lead in the top of the eighth, but Brandon Hughes threw out Pat McInerney at the plate to end the inning. Will Krug’s sent a sharp single in the right field where Hughes picked up the ball and made a perfect throw to Roskelly at the plate, who applied the tag to McInerney.
The Spartans held Illinois to four hits in the game.
Hughes went 2-for-4 at the plate on Friday and finished the tournament 5-for-11.
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