"It was a good ball game, and a tough one to lose for sure," MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "The series is three games long, so you can't win a series on Thursday, and you can't lose it on Thursday. We've got to come back tomorrow and just play hard. It's hard to sweep anybody, and that still stands after a tough loss."

After two dominant outings, MSU ace Joseph Dzierwa didn’t have the same firepower on Thursday night.

Under sunny skies at first pitch, Dzierwa walked the first two batters he faced. Charlie Sutherland followed with a double to right-center, scoring the game’s first run. Catcher Weber Neels added a two-RBI single up the middle to make it 3-0 Golden Gophers.

Though the Spartans entered averaging over six runs per game, they had few answers for Minnesota. Dzierwa lasted five innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits and two walks, striking out four.

"(Dzierwa) was so good two weeks ago, and he was so good last week, it's tough to ask that of a kid," Boss said. "I would think it'd be comparable to asking a basketball player to go out and give you 40 points every night–it's probably just not going to happen, and so it probably was not his best stuff tonight."

MSU’s comeback attempts came in spurts, with one run each in the first, third and fifth innings—but no sustained rally.

Ryan McKay led the offense with two hits, including a leadoff double in the first. He came around to score on a Sam Busch RBI single up the middle for MSU’s opening run.

In his next at-bat, McKay launched a solo home run into the Red Cedar River — his fifth of the year. He continues to lead MSU in batting average (.325) and hits (62).

MSU added its third and final run in the fifth after back-to-back hits from Parker Picot and Jake Dresselhouse. Picot’s leadoff double marked his ninth of the season and raised his slugging percentage to .517 — third best on the team.

The bullpen kept MSU within striking distance. Senior right-hander Dominic Pianto tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, followed by Tyler Horvath, who allowed no hits in 1 2/3 frames and also struck out three.

Boss praised the duo for their command and deceptive deliveries.

"Those guys are really good," Boss said. "Both of those guys fill up the strike zone. Dominic (Pianto) spins that breaking ball in there for a strike and it's tough for hitters to tough for hitters to see out of the hand, and Tyler (Horvath) has a little bit of a different arm angle and different delivery, which again, makes it difficult for hitters."

The Spartans return to the field Friday, May 16, at 6:00 p.m. for game two in another must-win matchup. Boss said his focus remains entirely on MSU — not the rest of the standings.

"You focus on what we're doing and can't control anything else, so why worry about it?" Boss said. "It's a waste of time to worry about what anybody else is doing."

With just two games remaining in the regular season, Michigan State’s margin for error is gone. The Spartans must now turn the page quickly and capitalize on their remaining opportunities. Anything less than a series win could end their postseason hopes.