Just as it appeared the MSU baseball team was on a fast track to going well above the .500 mark, the Spartans found themselves derailed by Purdue in their opening home series of the season this weekend.
The Boilermakers took all three games played between the teams this weekend, defeating the Spartans 7-2 Friday and sweeping a Saturday doubleheader by scores of 5-4 and 4-0, according to MSU Sports Information.
Sunday’s scheduled fourth game of the series was canceled because of bad weather.
MSU is now 12-11 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten.
The lone bright spot for the Spartans on Friday in their opener at Kobs Field was the play of senior tri-captain and center fielder Rick Court, who drove in both Spartan runs with a solo home run in the fourth inning and an RBI single in the ninth.
Junior right-hander Dylan Putnam gave up four runs and 10 hits in six innings to take the loss.
On Saturday, the teams moved their series to Oldsmobile Park in Lansing and went to extra innings in the first game of the doubleheader.
Junior pitcher Kyle Geswein was the hitting star for the Spartans, as he went 3-3 with 2 RBIs.
Geswein was also MSU’s starting pitcher in game one, giving up three runs in six innings while recording a career-high eight strikeouts.
Junior pitcher Domanick Squires gave up Purdue’s other two runs, including the eventual winning run in the 10th inning to take the loss.
The second game provided no highlights for the Spartans, as they could manage only four hits in being shut out for the first time all year. Junior Nick Bates was the losing pitcher.
The Spartans will next take on Saginaw Valley State at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Kobs Field.
Softball
The Spartans went 2-2 during the weekend, losing both ends of a doubleheader Friday at Illinois but sweeping a doubleheader Saturday at Eastern Illinois.
MSU’s home doubleheader Sunday against Oakland was canceled because of bad weather. The Spartans are now 12-24 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten.
Against the Illini, the Spartans couldn’t muster much offense in either game, losing 4-1 in the first game and 10-2 in the second.
Freshman Brittney Green, who plays third base, provided MSU’s biggest highlight in the doubleheader as she belted her first career home run.
In its first game against Eastern Illinois, runs were not a problem for MSU in an 18-0 shellacking of the Panthers. The Spartans pushed across 11 runs in the first inning, highlighted by senior outfielder Demita Clark’s first career home run, a three-run shot to center field.
Junior pitcher Becky Gray tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and striking out four.
MSU’s bats weren’t quite as potent in the second game, but the four runs they did score were enough to defeat the Panthers 4-1.
Junior pitcher Keri DeJong gave up one run in 5 2-3 innings to pick up the victory.
The Spartans’ home doubleheader against Oakland has been rescheduled for Wednesday afternoon. No starting time has been determined.
Men’s gymnastics
For the fourth-consecutive year and in its final year of competition, the MSU men’s gymnastics team has qualified for the NCAA Championships, which will be held this year on April 5-7 in Columbus, Ohio.
The Spartans qualified with the sixth best score of the 12 teams that will compete at the NCAA meet.
Two MSU gymnasts, junior Jonathan Plante and sophomore Brad Golden, have been named to the 2001 All-Big Ten team.
Women’s tennis
MSU fell to archrival Michigan 7-0 Friday in Ann Arbor.
The Spartans’ lone victory came in doubles competition courtesy of freshmen Trine Lise Juliussen and Caroline Lay at No. 1 doubles, as they defeated Szandra Fuzesi and Kim Plaushines of U-M 9-8.
MSU will be on the road this weekend for matches Saturday against Penn State and Sunday against Ohio State.
Men’s tennis
The Spartans dropped a 6-1 affair against Wisconsin on Saturday at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility.
Sophomore Adam Hourani provided the Spartans’ lone win in singles competition with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 win over Wisconsin’s Stefan Reist.
Sophomore Rodrigo Abucham and junior Jason Chen were the lone Spartan winners in doubles play, defeating Wisconsin’s Dustin Friedman and Dustin Taylor at No. 3 doubles.
MSU will next have home matches against Ohio State on Saturday and Penn State on Sunday. Starting time for both matches is noon.
Men’s swimming
Senior John Munley, MSU’s lone representative at the Phillips 66 Spring National Swimming Championships, hosted by the University of Texas, took 24th place in the 400-meter freestyle event Friday with a time of 4:04.41.
