Down in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend, the MSU baseball team won two of three games against Ohio State in its first conference series of the season. The Spartans improve to 15-8 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten.
The series started with an MSU comeback late in Friday night’s opener as the Spartans scored four runs in the eighth inning to earn their first Big Ten win of the season, 8-7.
With two outs against them and trailing the Buckeyes, 6-4 in the eighth, freshman-designated hitter Cam Gibson smacked a two-RBI double that knotted the game. Freshman third baseman Justin Hovis then scored on a wild pitch to take the lead before Gibson did the same to complete the comeback.
In game two Saturday, the Buckeyes built an early lead that MSU never was able to recover from by scoring two runs in each of the first two innings on six hits. The Spartans scored three runs through five innings, but went on to lose, 8-3,as Ohio State handed pitcher David Garner his first loss of his junior season. Garner allowed seven runs — four of which were earned — and 11 hits in 6 and 2/3 innings of work.
On Sunday, it was the Spartans who jumped out to an early lead before claiming the series finale, 7-2.
MSU got on the board with a run in the top of the second and built a 6-0 lead through six innings. Junior third baseman Joel Fisher and sophomores Jimmy Pickens, the right fielder, and designated hitter Anthony Cheky led a 10-hit outing for the Spartans with two apiece.
The Buckeyes scored their only two runs in the final frame. Sophomore right-hander Mick VanVossen pitched the complete game, allowing seven hits with one strikeout and one walk.
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