It wasn’t a good start to the season for the MSU baseball team this weekend as it dropped two games to Troy State, in Alabama, both by identical 5-4 scores, according to MSU Sports Information.
The two teams were supposed to play a three-game series, but Sunday’s game was canceled because of severe weather.
In Friday’s game, the Spartans rallied from a 4-1 deficit by scoring three runs in the seventh inning to tie the game, only to see Troy State score in the bottom of the ninth on an error to win.
Junior outfielder Chris McCuiston and sophomore outfielder Bob Malek led the offensive charge for the Spartans, who outhit Troy State 11-4 in the game. McCuiston went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs, while Malek was 3-for-5 with one RBI.
In Saturday’s game, the Spartans again rallied to cut a 5-2 deficit to 5-4. MSU put two runners on base in the top of the ninth inning, but failed to push across the tying run.
On Saturday, it was Kyle Geswein’s turn to be the offensive stalwart as he went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
Geswein also was the Spartans’ starting pitcher in the game, but he lasted only two innings in recording his first loss of the season.
The Spartans will next play three games against perennial powerhouse Florida State this weekend in Tallahassee, Fla.
Men’s track
Two individual performances highlighted the Spartans’ eighth-place finish at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in State College, Pa., on Sunday.
Senior Paul Terek won the heptathlon competition by totaling 5,685 points. Terek also finished first in the pole vault with a jump of 17 - 8 1/2.
Sophomore Andy Lixey set a school record in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:49.15. Lixey’s time was the second-best mark in Big Ten history.
Men’s gymnastics
The Spartans recorded a convincing win Saturday night, defeating Illinois-Chicago 211.25 to 202.25.
The Spartans placed first, second and third in both the floor exercise and the parallel bars.
On the floor, sophomore Brad Golden took first with a score of 9.1. Freshman Andrew Davis was behind him with a score of 8.65, while junior Jason Lewis took third with a final mark of 8.54.
Golden also took first on the parallel bars with a score of 8.9. Junior Jon Plante finished behind him with a score of 8.75, while Davis placed third with a score of 8.65.
In addition to his second-place finish in the parallel bars, Plante took first on the pommel horse with a score of 9.65 and won the all-around competition with a score of 52.25.
The Spartans will next compete in Tempe, Ariz. on March 3 against Arizona State, Penn State, Stanford, California and Oklahoma.
