Baseball team falls to Spartans in last at bat
The Central Michigan baseball team got a taste of its own medicine Wednesday afternoon losing to Michigan State at McLane Field in East Lansing.
On Sunday, CMU trailed Buffalo in the ninth inning, but found a way to rally in the ninth with four runs in walk-off fashion, beating the Bulls 14-13.
This time the tables turned.
The Spartans ended it with a walk-off sacrifice fly from junior Jared Hook in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving MSU a 6-5 victory in the first of three meetings between the rivals this season.
“Anytime you lose by a run in a game like that, you always think a lot of thoughts,” head coach Steve Jaksa said. “I think there were so many opportunities to change that around. One play here, one situation there can change that game around.”
CMU freshman Nick Regnier led off the ninth inning with a double, but the threat was ended because junior Jordan Dean flied out to right field, senior Tyler Hall popped out to left field and senior William Arnold ended the inning when he flied out too.
“I was pleased in terms of how some guys pitched, and I was pleased with some of our hitters,” Jaksa said. “At the end of the day, it ended up being a one-run loss in the bottom of the ninth.”
The Spartans, who were trailing 5-3 midway through the game, scored runs in the fifth inning and sixth inning before capping the comeback off with the run in the ninth.
Freshman Dylan Rheault pitched a perfect eighth inning in relief, but MSU regrouped in the ninth.
Junior Torsten Boss led with a walk and stole second. Then, junior Tony Wieber advanced Boss to third on a ground out.
With one out in the ninth, Jaksa brought in junior Dietrich Enns to try and get the Chippewas out of the jam.
Instead, Hook flied out to left field, but it was deep enough to score Boss from third for the winning run.
“It’s a lot more fun when you’re the guys jumping around on the field after the game,” junior Reid Rooney said, “but seeing those guys celebrate will just motivate us and we’ll keep it in the back of our head for our game in Theunissen (Stadium) and Comerica (Park).”
Rheault was credited with the loss and sophomore Jeff Kinley got the win.
Freshman Matt Trowbridge started for CMU, pitching five innings while giving up eight hits, four runs, but only two were earned.
“I thought he competed well,” Jaksa said. “I thought his changeup was in the zone a little bit better today in terms of making them respect that as a pitch.”
The Chippewas re-enter Mid-American Conference play this weekend on the road beginning at 3 p.m. Friday against Bowling Green.
BGSU lost 13-3 at MSU on Tuesday.
