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MSU beats Toledo In 4th straight walk-off

April 16, 2013
	<p>From left, junior catcher Joel Fisher and freshman right-handed pitcher Justin Alleman talk with one another during a break in play Tuesday at McLane Stadium at Old College Field. The Spartans defeated Toledo, 7-6, after 12 innings of play. Adam Toolin/The State News</p>

From left, junior catcher Joel Fisher and freshman right-handed pitcher Justin Alleman talk with one another during a break in play Tuesday at McLane Stadium at Old College Field. The Spartans defeated Toledo, 7-6, after 12 innings of play. Adam Toolin/The State News

Photo by Adam Toolin | The State News

Cam Gibson would like to leave the field with a clean pair of underpants.

In the last four games, including a 12-inning, 7-6 win against Toledo on Tuesday afternoon, he and the MSU baseball team haven’t had any other choice.

The freshman outfielder hit a triple in the bottom of the 12th inning that ultimately would be the game-winning run.

“We should cut back and maybe win it in the ninth sometimes,” Gibson said with a smile.

Sophomore outfielder Anthony Cheky drove in the winning run on a sacrifice fly to left field.

With one out in the bottom of the 12th, Cheky knew what to do.

“As soon as Gibby hit that (triple), it kind of sparked us,” Cheky said. “That triple was huge. A fast runner like that, you’ve got to get him in somehow. I got a pitch down there and I hit it. Game over.”

It was the fourth straight game the Spartans won in walk-off fashion, after a three game sweep of Indiana last weekend.

Head coach Jake Boss Jr. said the Spartans didn’t play well, and it was disappointing they didn’t perform to their high standards, but there’s no such thing as a bad win.

“I give our guys a little bit of credit, especially at the end,” Boss said.

“It’s going to help us down the road during tournament time. Just like last weekend, there was always a belief in the dugout that we were going to win the game.”
The Spartans travel to Comerica Park — the home of the Detroit Tigers — to take on in-state rival Central Michigan at 6:35 p.m. tonight.

Gibson — whose dad, Kirk, played at MSU as well as with the Tigers and was a coach in Detroit from 2003-2006 — has many fond memories growing up at Comerica and said MSU needs to play its game and nine strong innings of baseball.

“I was running around the outfield shagging baseballs and diving all over the place,” Gibson said of his time at Comerica Park. “I learned all my mechanics there. I remember hitting in the cages when I was a little kid. Lots of blisters there, lots of blood there, lots of sweat there.”

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