Michigan State baseball was looking to clinch a series victory against the No. 6 Oregon Ducks in game three of the home weekend series. Instead, the Ducks defeated the Spartans 3-1 to clinch the series win courtesy of impressive pitching performances.
“It’s a tough one to lose, but at the end of the day, I thought they played a little bit better than we did,” said MSU head coach Jake Boss.
After an impressive 13-5 win in game two, the Ducks picked off right where they left off as they opened the scoring in the second inning courtesy of a double by freshman catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus. A wild pitch allowed senior outfielder Parker Stinson to score, extending the Ducks lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning.
The Spartans cut the deficit to 2-1 in the sixth inning as a sacrifice fly by sophomore infielder Ryan McKay drove in senior catcher Noah Bright. Bright’s double to begin the sixth helped the Spartans cut the Oregon lead.
It was a pitching battle throughout. Junior right-handed pitcher Nolan Higgins started the game for MSU and, despite allowing two runs, recorded three strikeouts in four innings pitched.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Garrett Brewer was dominant on the mound after taking over in the fifth inning. Brewer struck out three Oregon batters, allowing two hits and a run in five innings pitched.
Oregon sophomore right-handed pitcher Cole Stokes rose to the occasion in the seventh and eighth innings with two strikeouts as the Spartans stranded three runners on base.
After a home run in yesterday’s win, junior catcher Anson Aroz put the finishing touches on the Ducks win with a solo shot with two outs in the ninth inning.
“The home run in the ninth took the wind out of our sails, but at the same time, I liked the way our guys competed," said Boss. "I thought we tried to do a lot of things differently at the plate just to try to slow down some rhythm."
Senior right-handed pitcher Seth Mattox earned the save for the Ducks, as Oregon improved to 33-13 on the season and 16-8 in the Big Ten.
Junior right-handed pitcher Jason Reitz earned his third win of the season and remains undefeated on the year. In six innings pitched, Reitz recorded four strikeouts while allowing three hits and a run.
What's next?
With the loss, the Spartans fall to 24-21 on the season and 10-14 in the Big Ten. MSU is currently tied for 12th place with Northwestern in the Big Ten, which is the last qualifying spot for the Big Ten Tournament.
The Spartans have two more series, one at home (Minnesota) and on the road (USC), to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the tournament. Despite being on the cut line for the tournament, Boss believes that his team can play with anyone in the conference, as they showed this weekend against the Ducks.
“You’ve got to get yourself into the tournament," he said. "You get yourself into the tournament, anything can happen. I think there’s enough talent in our dugout and our locker room to make some noise, we just got to get there."
The Spartans will host in-state foe Eastern Michigan on Tuesday with first pitch from McLane Stadium set for 6:02 p.m.
“Our challenge and goal is we have to answer that bell and match that enthusiasm, at the same time go out and play fundamental baseball,” said Boss.
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