Spartans Sweep No. 23 Oregon with 7-4 Win on Sunday

Spartans Sweep No. 23 Oregon with 7-4 Win on Sunday EUGENE, Oregon - The Michigan State baseball team completed a three-game sweep of No. 23 Oregon on Sunday

Spartans Sweep No. 23 Oregon with 7-4 Win on Sunday

EUGENE, Oregon - The Michigan State baseball team completed a three-game sweep of No. 23 Oregon on Sunday afternoon in Eugene, downing the Ducks, 7-4, at PK Park. Michigan State didn’t take long to get on the scoreboard, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never trailed, upping their record to 15-14.

“It’s tough to sweep, especially on the road against a very talented team like Oregon,” MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. “To come out here and play the way we did is something very special and I’m really proud.”

The Spartans’ four-run first inning started quickly. Cam Gibson led off with a bunt and then moved to third when the next hitter, Ryan Krill, singled through the right side. Mark Weist then scored Gibson with a base hit and Blaise Salter followed with the big hit of the inning, clearing the bases with a three-run blast to left field, giving MSU a 4-0 advantage.

“We talked about getting off to a quick start,” Boss said. “We wanted to try and get out on a quick note and try to take control of the momentum right away. We really took control of the game from that point.”

Oregon cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second inning with two-run home run by Scott Heineman.

The teams traded solo runs in the third, MSU with a sacrifice fly by Anthony Cheky and Oregon with an RBI groundout by Heineman.

Leading 5-3 in the top of the fourth inning, the Spartan offense struck for two more runs courtesy of the long ball. With Gibson on second base, Krill drilled his second home run of the weekend to right center to boost the Spartan lead to 7-3.

Michigan State starting pitcher Andrew Gonzalez sat down the Ducks in order in the first and fourth innings and retired the first hitter of the fifth inning before allowing two straight singles. Anthony Misiewicz replaced Gonzalez and got the Spartans out of the inning without any damage.

Misiewicz had a 1-2-3 sixth inning and pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

After getting the first out of the eighth inning, Misiewicz was replaced on the mound by Walter Borkovich. Borkovich tossed just two pitches before lighting struck and a thunderstorm halted play.

After a lengthy delay, Borkovich came back out to get the final two outs of the eighth.

“If we were going to have a delay, it probably happened at a time best for us,” Boss said. “It was good the delay wasn’t too long and that Walter was able to come back out and pitch.”

The Ducks loaded the bases in the ninth and got a run via a sacrifice fly. But that was all closer Jeff Kinley allowed as he ended the game in the next at-bat with a fly out.

Gibson finished the game with three hits to lead MSU, while Krill and Weist both had a pair.

Misiewicz picked up the win for the Spartans, allowing just one hit in three complete innings.

The Spartans will be off until Wednesday when they host Western Michigan in the first of five games in five days. MSU will take on the Lansing Lugnuts in the annual Crosstown Showdown on Thursday and then host Northwestern this coming weekend.