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Sluggers earn split in wintry weather

April 7, 2003

Offense was hard to come by at a frigid Kobs Field on Sunday afternoon as the MSU baseball team split a low-scoring doubleheader with Northwestern.

The Spartans (7-18 overall, 1-5 Big Ten) won the opener 3-2, picking up their first league victory of the season. But Northwestern prevailed 2-0 in the second game, keeping MSU in last place in the Big Ten.

"The first game we executed very well - we bunted when we had to," MSU manager Ted Mahan said. "But the second game, we didn't execute."

The Spartans and the Wildcats (10-10, 3-3) only played twice this weekend, after canceling games Friday and Saturday because of freezing temperatures.

It wasn't much warmer Sunday, and the cold kept both teams' bats in check. Northwestern struck first in the opener, scoring twice in the second inning. But MSU junior pitcher Bryan Gale kept the Wildcats at bay the rest of the game.

MSU junior third baseman James Moreno led the comeback charge with two RBI, and Gale pitched out of a sticky situation with runners on second and third and one out in the seventh.

The 6-foot-3 right-hander went all seven innings, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out eight Wildcats. His record improved to 3-4.

"I threw pretty well," Gale said. "I was really spotting my fastball, and it's nice having good control like that. It also helps when it's 20 degrees out, because the hitters don't hit too well."

In the second game, a couple of costly mistakes prevented MSU from recording its first series sweep this season.

Sophomore rightfielder Jim Deliz, in particular, had a rough second inning, starting with an error on a short fly ball that allowed Northwestern to score its first run.

"As soon as it was hit, I went back a little before I realized it was shallow," Deliz said. "I dove for it, and I got part of my glove on it, but it should have been caught.

"I don't like to make excuses, I'm pretty hard on myself."

Deliz's misfortune continued with a failed bunting attempt in the bottom half of the inning. With Spartans at first and second and nobody out, Deliz fouled out while trying to advance the runners with a sacrifice bunt.

The misstep cost the Spartans because junior centerfielder David Miller laced a single later in the inning that probably would have scored two runs. Instead, it simply loaded the bases for freshman shortstop Alan Cattrysse, who grounded out to end the threat.

Northwestern added another unearned run in the third after a throwing error by second baseman Travis Gulick put Wildcat pitcher J.A. Happ on second with no outs. He scored on a single later in the inning.

"The game should have been 2-0 us, if you think about it," Mahan said. "If we execute and catch the ball and get the bunts down

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