Michigan State Baseball dropped its third series in a row and its eighth straight to Michigan on way to a 6-4 loss in game two of the weekend home stand.

MSU, now 11-21 (5-12), is off to its worst start through 30 games since 2019, when MSU finished 11th out of 13 teams in the Big Ten. It’s MSU’s sixth conference loss in seven games. 

Boss, since 2009, now has a record of 17-34 against his in-state rival.

MSU took the lead first but a five-run fifth inning from the Wolverines blew the doors off an already lackluster day on the mound for MSU starting pitcher Carter Monke. 

In three innings, he threw 69 pitches with little command. The Wolverines' starter, Shane Brinham, didn’t reach that mark until the sixth inning. Monke (3-3) allowed 10 base runners in three innings of work. He and the MSU pitching staff relied more on UM mistakes than on capitalizing on its potential to strike batters out. 

Head Coach Jake Boss Jr. said he told his guys to take the comeback effort one at-bat at a time, but a lack of vigor on offense delayed any hope for a win.  

“You can't try to get them all back at one time,” Boss said after the game. "You just try to try to put a good at bat together and then follow that up with another one."

The graduate Illinois State transfer allowed 5 runs, 8 hits, while keeping five UM runners on base. Monke was able to work out of early jams and bases-loaded situations, but as the pressure mounted, the UM bats took over. 

Junior RHP Gannon Grundman came in relief of Monke with relative success. In three frames, Grundman allowed 1 run, 2 hits and one walk with 4 punchouts. MSU’s relief staff has had little to celebrate this season as they’ve let up 36 runs in the fifth inning or later in its past ten games. 

Boss said he liked what he saw out of his pitching staff today outside of the one inning.