April 4, 2004

Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State baseball completed its sweep of Iowa Sunday, April 4, with a 12-1 victory. It is the first time the Spartans (13-10, 4-0) have swept to open the Big Ten schedule since taking four games from Northwestern in 1990. MSU stands alone atop the Big Ten standings as the only team undefeated in conference action. Freshman pitcher Craig Brookes (Naperville, Ill.) struck out a career-high six batters in nine innings of work for the first complete game victory of his career. With the win, Brookes improves to 2-2 on the year. Oliver Wolcott (Plymouth, Mich.) led the offense with his second home run in as many games, going 2-for-5 at the plate, scoring two runs and driving in three.

With an RBI single in the first, right fielder Travis Gulick (East Lansing, Mich.) extended his hitting streak to 19 games, the longest hitting streak since at least 1992 when Steve Johnson registered a hit in 18 consecutive games.

"We're off to a good start in the Big Ten. We played good baseball this weekend and we've played good baseball for the last two weeks," said head coach Ted Mahan. "We've won nine in a row, so we must be doing some things right. Our pitching and defense have improved in the last two weeks and that's what you have to do to win."

MSU took the lead early and never looked back as Alan Cattrysse (Chatham, Ont.) sent a shot up the middle to lead off the game. With an infield ground out by Wolcott, Cattrysse moved into scoring position at second. Gulick singled down the left field line to drive Cattrysse home and advanced to second when Iowa second baseman Jason White made a fielding error on a ground ball from James Moreno (Holt, Mich.) to put two aboard for the Spartans. David Miller (Whitehall, Mich.) popped out to third to end the inning, but the Spartans had staked claim to the lead.

Though Erik Morris (Orchard Lake, Mich.) led off the second with a strikeout, Basham got on base with a strong single up the middle and moved into scoring position when Hawkeye shortstop Jeff Gremley bobbled a Troy Krider (Coldwater, Mich./DeKalb, Ind.)grounder, putting Spartans at first and second. Cattrysse hit an RBI ground-rule double into left field to score the eventual game-winner as Basham came home. Krider had touched home as well, but had to return to third when the ball rolled under the left field fence to halt the play. It made no difference to Wolcott as the sophomore second baseman hit his second home run in as many games, this time a three-run bomb that found the Red Cedar River over the right center field wall. Gulick doubled into center to put yet another runner on base, but Koerber was caught looking by Iowa starter Andrew Hanson and Moreno flied out to right to end the inning with a 5-0 lead.

Iowa did not register a hit through the sixth and MSU produced a hit in the bottom of the stanza when Krider singled to left field but was caught stealing second to end the inning.

The seventh inning was the first point in the game in which an Iowa batter advanced further than first base as Kris Welker singled through the left side and Jesse Brownell hit a single to left field to advance Welker to second. Nate Yoho's single the opposite way scored Welker from second and moved Brownell to third. Andrulonis hit a fly ball to shortstop and Sunderman grounded out to Brookes on the mound to move Yoho to second with two outs. Brookes fooled Andy Cox as the Iowa first baseman struck out swinging to end the inning with runners stranded at second and third.

Carrying their comfortable 5-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth, the Spartans came out swinging in what would be their final at bats of the game.

Iowa's Aaron Reasland relieved Hanson to open the inning and immediately allowed Scott Koerber on base with a walk. James Moreno squared around for a sacrifice bunt, advancing Koerber to second, but gave Iowa its first out of the inning. Freshman Sean Walker (Round Lake Beach, Ill.) pinch hit for designated hitter David Miller and singled through the left side to move Koerber to third. E.J. Daws (Bozeman, Mont.) then entered the game to run for Walker. With an Erik Morris RBI single that followed Walker's into left field, Koerber gave MSU its sixth run of the game by touching home. Tim Gudex relieved Hanson but did not record an out, facing four batters in his time on the mound.

With a left-hander on the mound, Mahan pinch-hit Adam Tripp for Basham and the Saugus, Calif., native singled into left to score Daws and move Morris to third. Tripp notched his second stolen base of the season and moved to third on a wild pitch that scored Morris. Troy Krider hit a lazy ground ball towards first base, but the bag was left unmanned allowing Krider to reach safely and Tripp to score, though Gudex looked to throw to first for the putout. Cattrysse was issued a walk and Wolcott singled to right field before Brent Jackson came to the mound looking for the final two outs with the bases loaded.

But Jackson balked to move each runner, scoring Krider. Gulick was not finished yet, hitting a two-run single to score Wolcott and Cattrysse. Koerber grounded into a double play to end the inning with seven runs on five hits and a 12-1 lead.

Brookes returned to the mound in the ninth as pinch hitter Jim Reid flied out to left field and Brownell grounded out to Brookes to put two quick outs on the board. But an infield single from Yoho gave the Hawkeyes a runner before Andrulonis was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Determined to end the game allowing just one run on five hits, Brookes caught Sunderman looking to end the game.

The Spartans return to action Wednesday, April 7 when they host IPFW at 3 p.m. Michigan State returns to Big Ten action April 9-11 with a four-game series at Illinois.