The win snapped a six-game losing streak and marked MSU’s first victory since March 29 against Illinois. The Spartans improved to 18-15 overall and 5-9 in Big Ten play, now sitting 11th in the conference — within the 12-team cutoff for the Big Ten Tournament.

Dzierwa turned in his best Big Ten start of the season, allowing just three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings. He struck out eight — six of them coming in the first four frames.

"I was a little frustrated with the defense yesterday, and we played errorless defense today," MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "It was really good. Joseph was really good on the mound. It took the offense a little while to get rolling, but once we got into the sixth, we finally got some things going."

Dzierwa controlled the first seven innings with ease. The 6-foot-8 junior kept hitters off balance with a mix of high-velocity fastballs — touching 94 mph — and sharp off-speed pitches that froze batters deep in counts.

Dzierwa, who leads the Big Ten in ERA (1.65) and ranks second in strikeouts (67), handed the ball to redshirt senior Dominic Pianto for the eighth. Pianto struck out two and allowed one hit before the Spartans ended it early.

Dzierwa’s confidence on the mound has rubbed off on his teammates — including sophomore right fielder Parker Picot, who said he never doubts the outcome when Dzierwa starts.

"The night before I go to bed, I always say, with Joe on the mound, it's a guaranteed win tomorrow," Picot said. "So if the offense can show up, Joe, we know is going to give us whatever he's got and will put up zeros."

More lineup changes came after MSU’s sixth straight loss on Friday. Redshirt senior first baseman Sam Busch shifted to left field — a position he hadn’t played since his sophomore year of high school. Unprepared, he had to call in some backup.

"When coach told me the news, I called my mom and asked her to grab my outfield mitt from the basement," Busch said. "Sure enough, she found the right one and brought it right before batting practice."

Left field may have seemed like a stretch for a first baseman, but Busch looked comfortable — making play after play in his new role.

With Busch in left, regular designated hitter Will Shannon took over at first base, while senior catcher Noah Bright stepped in as DH.

After five scoreless innings, MSU broke through in the sixth. Freshman third baseman Dayton Murphy — who recently took over the starting job from junior captain Jacob Anderson — delivered the team’s first hit with a single to right. He finished 3-for-4 on the day.

Sophomore second baseman Ryan McKay followed with a single up the middle, putting runners on the corners. Northwestern, which leads the Big Ten in hit batters, then hit graduate DH Caleb Berry to load the bases.

Busch, coming off a three-hit night, delivered again with a two-RBI single to open the scoring. MSU then drew a walk and took another hit-by-pitch to reload the bases.

With two strikes, Picot stepped up and crushed a grand slam over the 375-foot sign in left-center — blowing the game open.

"I've had a tough few games, but coach trusted in me, and I thought the whole approach of the at-bat was to go out there and do my job," Picot said. "I got a few pitches I liked, fouled a few off, and just kept fighting. One clicked for me, and it felt good."

The grand slam gave MSU a commanding 7-0 lead heading into the seventh.

The Spartans added another in the seventh on a single to center by senior outfielder Nick Williams, scoring Berry. The graduate catcher finished the game with two doubles, two RBIs and a hit-by-pitch.

MSU will go for the series win Sunday at 1 p.m., with junior Nolan Higgins set to start. The Orchard Lake St. Mary’s product owns a 5.89 ERA and a 1-3 record across eight starts. The game will stream live on Big Ten Plus.