MSU junior outfielder Eli Boike receives high-fives from his teammates after leading with the first of four runs in the eighth inning. MSU was down to Oakland until the eighth inning, winning 7-5.
Lansing — When it comes to game-tying runs, thoughts of home runs or deep line drives resonate in the mind.
But in Sunday’s 7-5 victory for the MSU baseball team, the game-tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning traveled fewer than five feet from the batter’s box.
With the bases loaded, senior outfielder Johnny Lee laid down the perfect bunt during a squeeze play with the bases loaded to bring the tying run home for the Spartans.
Then, the next batter for MSU, junior outfielder Bo Felt, drilled a line drive to clear the bases and give the Spartans a two-run lead, thus securing the three-game sweep over Oakland at Oldsmobile Park.
“Sweeps are hard to come by — it doesn’t matter who you are playing,” MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. “Hopefully we are learning how to win.”
Boss said he had no hesitation calling for the squeeze play with the game on the line and said he knew Lee would be up to the task of laying down the all-important bunt.
“It’s a play you really can’t defend unless you pitch out,” Boss said.
“Johnny is our best bunter, so even with the bases loaded I had confidence he would be able to get the ball down on the ground.”
MSU junior third baseman Chris Roberts said the eighth inning, four-run, come-from-behind rally was huge for the team’s morale.
“It shows us that no matter what the score is, we are good enough to get out there and compete and win games,” said Roberts, who went 8-for-13 from the plate on the weekend.
Boss gave his team credit for sticking in the game, despite falling behind by three runs by the third inning.
“We are starting to make some progress,” Boss said. “We are getting some good wins here where we are still able to address some things and we are really trying to get better.”
Entering this weekend’s series against Oakland, the Spartans had lost 14 of 16 games.
Now, MSU is riding a four-game winning streak with one more nonconference game before Big Ten play begins.
“We have to keep playing hard,” junior right fielder Eli Boike said.
“Guys have been playing with a lot of intensity lately, and I think we have a lot of momentum going into the Big Ten season.”
The Spartans (6-14-0 overall) will play their final nonconference game against Western Michigan at 3:05 p.m. Wednesday at Oldsmobile Park.
The team opens up Big Ten play on the road with a three-game series against Illinois on Friday in Champaign, Ill.
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