Michigan got its scoring started in the second after a scoreless first. Four straight batters tore apart MSU starter Tate Farquhar. Two singles and a double brought in the first run, and Michigan shortstop Benny Casillas ripped a double down the line in right field, scoring another pair. 

The bottom of the Michigan lineup was an issue all night for MSU. Eight-hole Matt Spear batted three-for-four on the night and nine-hole Pace Jr. swung two-for-four with a walk. The bottom third of the order batted seven-for-ten with five RBIs, a walk and a hit by pitch. 

In the fourth inning, after scoring three runs in the third, Michigan’s bottom third of the lineup sparked another rally. A hit-by-pitch and a single from Trevor Spear set the table. Greg Pace Jr., who entered the game batting .302, quickly fell behind 0-2 after a pair of foul balls. But on the next pitch, Pace Jr. adjusted and launched a three-run home run, pushing the lead to 6-0.

"They hit a three-run home run, and there were maybe a couple of freebies before that," MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I thought we pitched it okay. They hit a couple of balls hard, but not many. They hit them where we weren’t."

Not getting the hits it needed in big moments was an issue for MSU in multiple moments. 

In the seventh inning, MSU got the chance they needed to put some runs together, as Preston Barr came in to pitch, replacing his brother Kurt. With one down, right fielder Parker Picot doubled down the power alley in left field. Freshman Dayton Murphy succeeded the blast with a single to right, putting runners at the corners. 

MSU needed to start chipping away at the deficit — and the opportunity was there. JT Sokolove, who had singled in his previous at-bat, entered hitting .282 with runners in scoring position, nearly matching his .286 season average. But despite his reputation for delivering in key spots, Sokolove grounded into a double play to end the inning. Michigan fans erupted, and the rain began to wash away the Spartans’ hopes of a game-one comeback.

"You can't hit a five-run home run in this game," Boss said. "I think when you try to do too much, sometimes it gets us out of our approach, and gets us away from what the plan is. That can be a problem, both at the plate and on the mound. The message is, just continue to do your job. Pass it to the next guy, and trust that he's going to do his job."

Sophomore right-hander Wyatt Farquhar made his second consecutive Friday night start, as head coach Jake Boss Jr. opted to give Joseph Dzierwa an extra day of rest. Farquhar tossed four innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits while striking out four. Despite the tough outing, Boss said the best is still to come for Farquhar in his first season as a regular contributor out of the bullpen.

"It's his first opportunity to play college baseball, and he's had some good days and some tough days," Boss said. "I didn't think he threw poorly, but I think there were maybe a couple of pitches that he'd probably like to have back, and at the same time, it was weak contact. He'll learn from it and he'll come back and pitch well next week."

Michigan State made one final push for a comeback in the ninth. After two quick outs, a walk to Noah Bright put a runner on, and Dillon Picot followed by crushing a triple to right field to drive in a run. Despite the late spark, Michigan closed the door and secured the game one win. Picot’s triple — his fifth of the season — ties him for the conference lead.

Notably, top Spartan hitters Ryan McKay, Caleb Berry and Sam Busch all failed to register a hit in the contest. Each hit above .320 but went a combined zero-for-ten with two walks.