PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Michigan State (16-23) scored six runs in the first inning on the way to claiming a 12-1 win over Rutgers baseball (18-21) Friday at Bainton Field.
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"We've been in a stretch where games have gotten away from us early," head coach
Steve Owens said. "When things aren't going well, the last thing you can do is give up a big inning. That cycle repeated itself again. The players have to change it. They need to execute, it's not a lack of effort. Things are going poorly now. A player has to do it, then a group to make that change to get back going again. Today got away early, not a lot that happened after to get back in. You can only fight back from a large deficit so many times in a season. We have to get off to a good start, create some opportunities early, expand and play regular baseball, which we did for most of the season."
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The Spartans used homers by Zaid Walker and Andrew Morrow in the first to build a 6-0 lead, taking advantage of two Rutgers errors. That proved to be enough run support for Mason Erla, who struck out six with one run against in six innings.
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Ben Gorski worked a career-high 2.2 innings of scoreless relief for the Scarlet Knights.
Kevin Welsh worked a pair of walks offensively and scored on an RBI single by
Richie Schiekofer.
Danny DiGeorgio extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single.
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- T1 | Michigan State score six runs, four unearned, on six hits with two homers to take the early lead.
- T4 | The Spartans plated an unearned run on an RBI single by Walker.
- T5 | A two-out, two-run single by Reese Trahey built the visitor advantage to nine.
- B5 | Welsh worked an eight-pitch walk, moved to second on a single by Peter Serruto and scored on a two-out RBI single up the middle by Schiekofer.
- T8 | Joe Stewart hit a two-run homer for Michigan State.
- T9 | A sacrifice fly plated the 12th run for MSU.
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Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. Watch on Big Ten Network+ or listen on WRSU 88.7-FM.
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