The game was a one-run affair until junior right fielder Jimmy Pickens brought in three runs on a first-pitch double in the bottom of the seventh inning to seal the win for MSU (17-11 overall, 3-3 Big Ten). The victory on Sunday extends MSU’s winning streak to seven games and gives the Spartans its first series sweep of the season.
“It’s hard to sweep, and I think we got a good ball club, but it’s still not easy to win three games in a row,” head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. “Give our guys credit — they put together a good weekend.”
Redshirt freshman starting pitcher Cam Vieaux picked up the win for the Spartans, and sophomore pitcher Bryan Goossens recorded the loss for Siena (5-23, 5-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Vieaux went 6 and 2/3 innings for MSU and surrendered five hits and no earned runs.
Sophomore Anthony Misiewicz and junior Jeff Kinley came in for relief of Vieaux on the mound, closing out the final 2.1 innings with no hits allowed.
MSU was first to strike when senior catcher Joel Fisher singled over the third baseman’s glove to bring home sophomore left fielder Cam Gibson from second base in the bottom of the second inning.
Siena wouldn’t go away quietly though, tying the game at one in the top of the fourth off a couple of errors by junior shortstop Ryan Richardson.
The first error came on a bad throw from Richardson to second base. The next at-bat, Richardson also dropped a pop up by Siena center fielder Dan Swain that would bring home right fielder John Rooney from second base. Both errors came with two outs in the inning.
MSU finished with three errors total.
The Spartans regained the lead when junior first baseman Blaise Salter hit a bomb over the scoreboard in the left field to start the bottom of the sixth. Salter finished the day 2-for-3 with a walk and one run batted in.
The Spartans would then add to their lead in the bottom of the seventh off a bases-clearing double by Pickens. With two outs and the bases loaded, Pickens hit a rope to left center field to bring in three runs.
Pickens said he had been struggling Sunday, but was able to break the funk during that at-bat.
“When you got a guy like Blaise really stroking the ball, they kind of forget about you in the four spot, so I just went in there knowing what I had to do,” Pickens said. “I was struggling all day but just kept grinding and got a pitch on the outer half and took it that way and it worked out.”
MSU returns to the field on Tuesday in a non-conference matchup against Central Michigan at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
