EAST LANSING — In the first inning Saturday, the Michigan baseball team managed to get its first three batters on base, setting itself up in prime scoring position. However, after a lackluster strand of at-bats, the inning ended with zero runs as all three were left stranded — and the Wolverines knew they couldn’t repeat their mistake.
“Knowing (that) in the first inning, we lost that situation,” redshirt junior left-fielder Greg Pace Jr. said. “We had bases loaded and didn’t score, and learned from that and (we knew) that next time that opportunity comes around not to miss it.”
With the contest still scoreless going into the third inning against a scrappy Michigan State team searching to even out the series, Michigan was ready to get the ball rolling. In the first four at-bats in the third inning, the Wolverines batters procured two singles and a double to bring junior second baseman Colby Turner home.
Gaining one run was just the start for Michigan in the third, as they went on to rack up another four in that inning. Junior right fielder Brenden Stressler gained the aforementioned double to score redshirt sophomore catcher Noah Miller, followed by Pace firing his second homer of the season to bat three runners in.
The top of the lineup maximized its offensive output in the initial innings. By the fourth, Turner was 3-for-3 with two runs, Miller was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run, and redshirt sophomore designated hitter Cooper Mullens was 2-for-3 as well.
The Wolverines geared up for a high-scoring game — yet they capped off their runs with just one more in the subsequent fourth inning. The five run lead they obtained by the fourth inning looked promising, but the Spartans started creeping back. Michigan got only three more hits in the game — a mirror of its third inning performance — while Michigan State got six, resulting in three runs.
“Not making the plays defensively (caused the Spartan runs),” Wolverines coach Tracy Smith said. “We got the ground ball twice, we don’t turn the double play on the comebacker … we let them back into (the game) ourselves.”
Without the initial scoring surge Michigan garnered, the comeback dream for the Spartans would have still been alive. They inched their way up, with one run an inning from the sixth inning to the eighth. But with such a large hole to climb out of, Michigan State needed more than a slow-and-steady pace to take control of the game. And without ever kicking it into high gear, the Spartans lost, 6-4.
“You’re on the road. Anything can happen,” Smith said. “… when we concentrate, we’re good. When we get a little mentally lazy, (thats) when we’re not locked in. I think the guys are focused and realized how important this is.”
The Wolverines confirmed a victory for the series in the ninth inning, yet it was evident that the win found its footing early on. While it began to lose its grip on it as the game progressed, Michigan managed to clamp down on that burst of runs and carry the lead until the final at-bat.
