May 4, 2008
University Park, Pa. - Michigan State scored two insurance runs in the sixth inning to make a one-run game a three-run game and the Penn State offense was only able to manage five hits off two Spartan pitchers as the Nittany Lions fell 4-1 to the Michigan State in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader. The first game on Sunday was a seven-inning contest that was postponed from Saturday due to rain last night.
Joe Blackburn went 2-for-3 and drove in the Nittany Lions' only run but he was the only Penn State player to record a multiple-hit game. Brian Ernst extended his hitting streak to 12 games by going 1-for-2. T.J. Macy had a decent start as he allowed six hits and four runs in five and a third innings. But he also walked five to go along with four strikeouts and had his two baserunners allowed in the sixth inning score after he had left the game. Mark Sorensen went six innings for the Spartans, allowing four hits and just the one run.
Macy came out firing in his second Big Ten start as he struck out three of the first five batters he faced and retired six of the first seven and the Nittany Lions notched a run in the bottom of the first to stake him to a 1-0 lead. After Wes Borden walked to start the inning, Landon Nakata laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him over to second and Blackburn ripped a single up the middle to score him. Rob Yodice drew a walk and Ernst dropped a single into leftfield to load the bases with one out. However, a pair of fielder's choices by Cory Wine and Rick Marlin, one with Blackburn being forced out at home and the other with Wine being forced at second, helped the Spartans escape any further damage. Penn State would have just five baserunners for the final six innings and never threatened again as only one runner made it as far as second base.
After two smooth innings for Macy, Michigan State evened the score in the third inning. After a Jeff Holm single and a Brandon Doherty sacrifice bunt, Steve Gerstenberger walked and Jonathan Roof grounded into a fielder's choice to leave runners at the corners with two outs. Chris Roberts walked and Kyle Day worked a 12-pitch walk to score the Spartans' first run. Macy forced Justin Potes to ground out to shortstop, stranding three runners on base.
The Spartans continued to play small ball in the fourth as they scored a run on two hits. Brandon Eckerle walked with one out and advanced to second on a Holm single to centerfield. They executed a successful double steal to put both runners in scoring position. Doherty laid down a suicide squeeze, which resulted in a run crossing the plate and runners safe at the corners. Macy forced a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and strand two more runners, but Michigan State came out of the inning with a 2-1 lead.
After striking out his fourth batter of the game in the top of the sixth, Macy let up a double and single to Eckerle and Holm, leaving runners on the corners with one out. Drew O'Neil came on in relief and blew strike three by Doherty, but Gerstenberger poked a single through the right side of the infield to drive in both runners, both charged to Macy. O'Neil struck out Roof to end the inning, but the damage was done as the Spartans had swelled their lead to 4-1.
Mike Pierce pitched a perfect top of the seventh, giving the Nittany Lions a chance to come back in the bottom half of the inning, but they failed to convert a Scott Kelley leadoff single into any runs as a double play ball and strikeout ended the game.