“Timely hits have been something we’ve struggled with recently,” head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. “But I think guys, the more confident they get, the more they’re able to stay in the moment and just kind of execute the plan.”

Junior third baseman Torsten Boss and junior center fielder Jordan Keur each went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and freshman right fielder Jimmy Pickens drove in four runs, two of which came on a towering home run in the eighth inning, to lead the Spartans to their third straight win.

MSU opened the game taking advantage of an early Western Michigan miscue, when the first inning should have ended on a ground ball to third base hit by catcher John Martinez. But Western Michigan’s Ryan McMillin struggled to field the ball, which took an awkward hop and was unable to make the throw to first.

That opened the door for junior designated hitter Jared Hook, who came to the dish and hit a two-run double with two outs and the bases loaded. Martinez was thrown out at home on the play to end the inning, but MSU headed to the second with an early 2-0 advantage.

“That’s a situation that we’ve really struggled in over the last couple weeks,” Jake Boss Jr. said. “We finally had somebody come up, step up and put a good swing on a pitch.”

In the fourth inning, Torsten Boss hit his first two-out RBI double of the game to put the Spartans ahead 4-1 after the Broncos scored one run in the second inning. He ended up bringing in two more runs with a two-out double in the sixth, adding to the list of clutch hits on the day.

On the mound, freshman right-hander Mick VanVossen had a relatively easy first five innings for the Spartans. Although he ran into some trouble and gave up the one run in the top of the second, VanVossen surrendered only three hits until the sixth inning, when the Broncos scored two runs on two doubles and a walk.

Jake Boss Jr. was happy with his freshman’s effort, but VanVossen, who earned his second win in the Green and White, said he’s seen better days.

“I wasn’t exactly satisfied with the way I played,” VanVossen said. “I pitched pretty good through five innings and just kind of fell apart in the sixth. But a win is a win, (and) it feels good to get the W.”

Fortunately for VanVossen, MSU added three insurance runs in the sixth, four in the seventh and two in the eighth, allowing senior relievers Bryce Jenney and Tim Simpson to cruise the rest of the way.

Wednesday marked the second game in a row the Spartans had a big day at the plate, following their 20-10 win over Indiana, in which MSU collected 25 hits. Torsten Boss said it felt good to keep that momentum going, and he hopes the Spartans can carry it into a Thursday afternoon meeting with Central Michigan and a home weekend series against Minnesota.

“Since the last game, I feel like our bats have really been swinging well,” he said. “We’re getting crucial hits in crucial situations, so that’s always good for our ball club.”