“Got down early and showed a lot of character coming back and answering the bell in the first inning with three runs to tie it back up,” Boss said. “There was a really good offensive approach all day long, very consistent, a lot of base runners.”

Starter Aidan Donovan gave MSU life and settled in nicely after a 3-run first inning. Donovan threw strikes, and he threw them often. He kept balls in and around the zone while utilizing a looping curveball that left Terapin batters buckling at the knees. 

Donovan finished his outing after six innings. The six-foot-four starter allowed 3 earned runs, five hits and three walks, striking out 7. The stability on the bump shifted the pressure to Maryland as they played without the lead for the first time this weekend. 

The Spartans know how important it is to play with the lead. MSU is 4-1 when playing with the lead after the third inning in the last month. On the flip side, the Spartans haven’t been able to mount many comebacks. Over the same span, MSU is 0-6 in games they trail after the third.

MSU will go for the series win in Sunday’s rubber match against Maryland at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, while streaming live on Big Ten Plus.

“You get some momentum, you always want to keep it, you know,” Boss said. “When you can throw strikes and get ahead in the count with a lead, you feel good about what's happening. You see things start rolling a little bit. You keep the momentum, and it enables you.”

It was a real return to form for Picot, who has seen the bench a lot this season. The junior right fielder played his freshman year at Alabama before transferring back to his home state to play in East Lansing.

This afternoon, Picot’s three RBIs were the separator with a go-ahead home run in the third. Picot owns the team’s fifth-best OPS of .796 and has hit in four straight games.

“He struggled early, and he sat for a little while and watched, and we tried to get him back into the lineup,” Boss said. “To his credit, he kept working. He kept a great attitude the whole time.”

Deckinga’s two-run shot in the first inning energized MSU and gave the team the needed confidence after a string of losses. Deckinga in his first year in East Lansing bats .237 and slugs .424 with a .747 OPS. His power has been the most notable component of his game, ranking second on the team in home runs. 

Three of MSU’s runs were unearned off four Terapin errors throughout game two. The Spartans benefited from the defensive miscues, slowly building momentum that carried through the latter half of the game. 

“We just got to play hard tomorrow. That's all we can worry about right now,” Boss said “Obviously, the goals we set at the beginning of the year, the first one, is to get to the big 10 tournament and have a chance to play for a championship.”