The Spartans split with Penn State after dropping the final game in a four game set, 3-2, to the Nittany Lions at Kobs Field on Sunday.
The Spartans (20-28 overall, 9-15 Big Ten) scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by left fielder Ryan Basham. But that was the only run the Spartans would get until the ninth inning, when second baseman E.J. Daws would come around to score on a throwing error by Penn State (27-23, 12-16) catcher James Spinelli.
"I don't know how many guys we left on, but we had 11 hits and they only had six," MSU manager Ted Mahan said. "It still goes back to, if we catch the ball, we win."
Mahan is referring to the third inning, when the Spartans made two errors, which combined with a double and walk by MSU starting pitcher Matt Trausch and led to all three of Penn State's runs.
Trausch (0-1), a freshman from Charlotte, made only his second start of the season, giving up no earned runs in five innings but was still tagged with the loss.
"The guy for Penn State (Alan Stidfole) pitched a hell of a game," Trausch said. "I was just trying to play up to my competition."
Stidfole (6-4) pitched eight innings for the Nittany Lions and got a lot of help from his defense, who helped him out of trouble numerous times. The Spartans stranded 11 runners, seven of those players were in scoring position.
The series included the final home games of the season, but the Spartans still have five games remaining in the regular season: one game at Central Michigan and four games at Northwestern.
Friday
MSU redshirt freshman first baseman James Keyton committed two errors in the top of the ninth inning on Friday and some clutch hitting by Penn State equated into a comeback 7-6 victory for the road team.
Junior starting pitcher Tim Day (4-6) had a season-high eight strikeouts but was hit with the loss after the Nittany Lions scored four unearned runs in the ninth inning.
Saturday
After the start time was delayed one hour and 20 minutes due to thunderstorms, MSU and Penn State kicked off the first game of a doubleheader.
The game saw MSU bang out 12 hits, en route to a 10-6 win over the visitors from State College, Penn.
With doubleheader games shortened to only seven innings, MSU jumped on the Nittany Lions early on a two-run homer by right fielder Adam Tripp.
The Spartans would follow with two more in the second inning, with another two-run shot by Daws and three runs in the third, to open up a 7-1 lead.
After Penn State scored one in the fifth inning and four runs in the sixth to make it an 8-6 game, the Spartans hit yet another two-run homer, this one by sophomore shortstop Troy Krider.
For the Spartans, sophomore starting pitcher Craig Brookes (6-1) picked up the win, pitching 5 and 2/3 innings, striking out three, while walking just one batter.
In the second game, freshman relief pitcher Drew Mahan (1-2) picked up his first win of the season, when Daws drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving MSU the 6-5 victory.
Both teams got on the scoreboard early, as Penn State scored two runs in the top of the first inning, but the Spartans countered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Nittany Lions evened the score in the fifth, when a throwing error by MSU's Krider allowed Spinelli to score. However, the Spartans answered again, with an RBI single by Tripp, and he would eventually come around to score on a wild pitch by Penn State, making the score 5-3.
After losing by one run the day before, the Spartans weren't going to give this one away and put the pressure on Penn State early in the seventh inning, with a single by Basham and a double down the right field line by first baseman Jamey Embree.
After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Penn State got a force out at home and strikeout, but Nittany Lions relief pitcher Scott Gaffney could not get out of the jam, walking home Embree.
