The MSU baseball team came into an away series against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 21-23 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten. The team was fresh off a series victory against Michigan the weekend prior, looking to grab another amidst a battle for a Big Ten tournament spot.
MSU lost the series to the Golden Gophers two games to one, winning the first game 6-4 before dropping the second 21-3 and losing 15-12 in the third game.
Game 1
It was a sunny, warm day in Minneapolis, MN, when big Spartan lefty Joseph Dzierwa made his usual Friday night start. He toed off against right-hander Will Semb for Minnesota.
The Spartans kicked off the top of the first with one baserunner on a double from infielder Dillon Kark, but that was all for the frame. After Dzierwa walked the first batter in the bottom of the inning and allowed a single right after, a double play brought in a run for Minnesota.
The MSU bats catapulted themselves back into the game right away with a leadoff home run from infielder Ryan McKay, his first as a Spartan. The score moved to an even 1-1. The bottom half of the second inning and all of the third were very similar, with both sides going down in order. Dzierwa struck out two in the process across both innings.
In the top of the fourth, MSU took the upper hand. McKay singled with one out and stole second with two outs. Catcher Sam Thompson hit in. The Spartans led 2-1.
Dzierwa was back out for the bottom of the fourth, in which he gave up a two-out single followed by a two-run home run off the bat of outfielder/catcher Drew Berkland. Dzierwa hit a batter and gave up another single before getting out of the inning. The score moved to 3-2 Minnesota.
After the first out in the top of the fifth, outfielder Jack Frank and Kark singled back-to-back before a wild pitch advanced both. Outfielder Nick Williams hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Frank, evening the score at 3-3. Dzierwa retired the side in the bottom of the fifth.
Left-hander Justin Thorsteinson came in to replace Semb in the top of the sixth. MSU’s offense managed to get two runners on from a double and a walk, but they were left on base. Dzierwa returned to the mound for the bottom half of the sixth and allowed a walk and a single, but escaped danger by striking out two, the latter one looking on a full count.
