ABILENE – Michigan State finished off a four-game series sweep of the ACU Wildcats Sunday afternoon with another show of offensive might as the Spartans cranked out 17 more hits en route to a 14-5 win at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Spartans finished the series with 63 hits and scored 51 runs in the four games compared to 37 hits and 21 runs for the Wildcats. Michigan State had 22 extra-base hits in the series compared to 12 for the Wildcats.
Freshman righthander
Bryce Hill got the start on the mound for the Wildcats, but left after 2 1/3 innings of work with an undisclosed injury. Five other ACU pitchers saw the mound Sunday afternoon and all were touched for runs by the Spartans. Hill took the loss, while Michigan State relief pitcher Jake Lowery got the win with three innings of one-hit baseball.
KEY INNING
The Spartans jumped on Hill in the first inning as Danny Gleaves singled on the first pitch of the game, went to second on a passed and scored on a bases-loaded single by Zack McGuire to make it 1-0. After a balk by Hill made it a 2-0 game, Chad Roskelly singled to center to drive in the third run of the inning before Matt Byars flew out to centerfielder
Derek Scott for a sacrifice fly and a 4-0 Michigan State lead.
The Wildcats would eventually cut the lead to 4-3 after four innings, but Michigan State answered back with three runs in the fifth and one in the seventh before putting the game away with six two-out runs in the top of the ninth.
ON THE MOUND
The Wildcats got to Michigan State starting pitcher Mason Erla for eight hits and five runs in four innings before he was replaced by Lowery, who went the next three innings to pick up the win. Lowery struck out four Wildcats, gave up just one hit and didn't allow a run in his relief effort Sunday afternoon.
After Hill left the game in the third inning,
Brandon Lambright (2.0 innings),
Ryan Kotulek (2.0 innings),
Keaton Brewer (2 1/3 innings),
Caleb Dougherty (0.0 innings) and
Derek Scott (1/3 inning) all threw for the Wildcats.
AT THE PLATE
The Wildcats will be glad to not have to face Michigan State second baseman Dan Durkin or leftfielder Danny Gleaves ever again. Durkin finished the series 9 for 18 with six runs scored, three doubles, one home run and 11 RBI in the three games, including going 1 for 4 with two RBI in Sunday's game. Gleaves was 11 for 21 with eight runs scored, two doubles and five RBI in the series, including going 3 for 6 with two runs scored and two RBI in Sunday's game.
The Wildcats were led all weekend by junior designated hitter
Luis Trevino, who finished the weekend 8 for 15 with five runs scored, three doubles and five RBI, including going 2 for 3 with one run scored and one RBI in Sunday's series finale. Senior outfielder
Russell Crippen finished the series 7 for 18 with two runs scored, one double, one home run and four RBI, including going 1 for 4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's game that drew ACU to within 7-5 in the fifth inning.
NOTABLE
• ACU freshman catcher
Lane Bourland – who started the series as the third-string catcher – got the start in the final two games of the series and threw out 3 0f 7 would-be basestealers in the series. He also went 2 for 7 with two runs scored and one double at the plate.
•
Russell Crippen hit his 11
th career home run in the fifth inning Sunday, a two-run shot to left-centerfield that drew the Wildcats to within 7-5. Crippen is ACU's leader in home runs in its four seasons of transition from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I affiliation.
NEXT GAME
The Wildcats will be back home next weekend when they host North Dakota State in a three-game set at Crutcher Scott Field. Friday's game will get started at 4 p.m. with Saturday's game set for a 2 p.m. start and Sunday's series finale set for 1 p.m. Be sure to check acusports.com for information on where the games will be broadcast.
