Lansing — Oldsmobile Park is technically the Lansing Lugnuts’ home field. But on Thursday, the MSU baseball team firmly stood its ground on the diamond it has occasionally called home in commanding fashion against a most formidable opponent.
The Spartans defeated the Lugnuts, 12-2, for the first time in three years of the annual Crosstown Showdown in front of a stadium-record crowd of 12,992. With the win, MSU (12-21 overall, 3-6 Big Ten) now holds a perfect 6-0 record at Oldsmobile Park, while the Lugnuts (1-5 Midwest League) have yet to manage a victory on their home turf in the young season.
“You don’t get these opportunities very often, especially to play in this atmosphere,” MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said.
The Spartans had no difficulty getting to Lugnuts starter Scott Gracey, as junior outfielder Bo Felt scored sophomore infielder Jeff Holm on a single to center in the top of the second, giving MSU the early 1-0 lead. The Spartans then benefited from an error in left field on a single from senior infielder A.J. Shindler, leading to three more runs and a 4-0 MSU advantage.
The Spartans scored three more in the third, allowing MSU runners to advance and score on multiple pass balls after a double from Holm and single from sophomore infielder Jonathan Roof.
After three scoreless innings, Lugnuts reliever Chris Holguin loaded the bases with Spartans in the top of the seventh with two walks and a hit batter before senior outfielder Johnny Lee, Roof and junior infielder Ben Vrobel drove in MSU runs to increase the lead to 11-1.
MSU senior Anthony Dunn, who had an ERA of 9.64 coming into the contest, struck out two batters in the first inning and only allowed an infield single in two innings of work. Senior Max Miller came on in relief and surrendered two singles to Lugnuts hitters before junior Kurtis Frymier struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth.
Dunn, Miller and Frymier combined to allow just one run in six innings before Balbino Fuenmayor homered to left in the seventh to make it 11-2.
A double from senior catcher Eric Roof in the eighth scored junior outfielder Chris Roberts from first to make it 12-2.
The Spartans take a two-game winning streak into their weekend series against Michigan beginning at 3:05 p.m. today at McLane Stadium.
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