“I feel like we’re one swing away,” head coach Jake Boss said. “You know something to happen where everybody can kind of take a deep breath and get an RBI early in the game and everybody can kind of relax a little bit. Unfortunately it didn’t happen today.”

Redshirt freshman pitcher Mason Erla pitched through five innings before being pulled out by giving up 10 hits, four runs and now is 3-1 on the season.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Spartans could not figure out anything giving up four runs and three hits. Sophomore Mike Mokma replaced Erla at the start of the inning before giving up two runs and then immediately taken out.

“We hit some balls hard at some guys, you know we had a couple of good approaches,” Boss said. “We had a couple of bad approaches with big spots kind of got ourselves out. Credit their guys they made pitches when they needed to and that’s the way the game is.

U-M’s freshman shortstop Jack Blomgren hit his first career solo home run in the bottom of the fourth while also getting three hits and an RBI on the afternoon. 

Sophomore outfielder Bryce Kelley was the Spartans lone wolf on the afternoon hitting three hits on four at bats along with a stolen base.

The Spartans will return back home to face Western Michigan at 3:05 p.m. Wednesday.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do and try to forget this one as soon as possible,” Boss said.