CMU loses final non-conference game at home against Michigan State, 16-9
In the scheme of things it doesn’t matter, but it sure stings.
On Tuesday, two days before its biggest series of the season, the Central Michigan baseball team gave up 10 runs in the first three innings and lost 16-9 against Michigan State.
Redshirt freshman Brock Guetzke took the loss before a crowd of 316 at Theunissen Stadium after giving up 10 runs (six earned) on 12 hits in three innings pitched.
MSU (33-17) jumped on the Chippewas early, connecting on four hits and capitalizing off a dropped infield pop up to take a 2-0 first inning lead. The Spartans continued the scoring in the second as Seth Williams doubled down the right field line and scored on a Torsten Boss single.
An error by senior Billy Anderson in center field extended the inning and MSU lead before a two-run home run by Chris Roberts made the score 7-0.
“We did a lot of things well over the course of the last few weeks, but (in this game) we didn’t get off to a good start,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “We let a couple balls fall in there the first two innings that set us back a little bit."
CMU (30-20, 17-7 Mid-American Conference) would try and minimize the damage in the bottom half of the inning with a three-run home run from freshman Jordan Dean.
The Spartans’ scoring flurry continued when they added three runs in the third off Guetzke and two more in the fourth off junior right-hander Jake Sabol.
The Chippewas would show some heart and respond with two runs in the third, including a triple by Anderson, and three runs in the fourth to cut the lead to 12-8. But that was as close as they would get as MSU would pile on three more in the sixth.
“We battled back in it but that point we couldn’t get all the way back,” Jaksa said. “We got close three to four times but after the fourth (inning) we didn’t put up many runs and couldn’t cut into the gap. We thought we could drag our way into it but then they hit a couple home runs and kept us at a distance from getting back in the game.”
Sophomores Rick Dodridge and William Arnold and junior Matt Faiman rounded out the pitching for CMU, combining to allow one run on three hits in 3 1/3 innings.
“We gave up 19 hits, but not that all of them were hard,” said senior James Teas, who went 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. “But it’s tough to keep battling when they put up runs pretty much every inning. We just need to forget about today and take it one game at a time (this weekend).”
Junior Matt Faiman went 3-for-5 with a run scored.
Tony Weiber earned the win for MSU (33-17) after allowing no runs and two hits in four innings pitched.
