MSU Overtaken Late By Minnesota In Series Finale Sunday - Michigan State University Athletics (2024)

Zac BonDurant

• Box Score

Game Recap: Baseball | 5/12/2024 8:57:00 PM

Spartans topped on walk-off in rubber match of their final regular-season road series.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Michigan State baseball was overtaken late by Minnesota in the Big Ten Conference weekend series finale Sunday afternoon at Minnesota's Siebert Field.

Minnesota's Drew Berkland hit a three-run walk-off home run to cap the Gophers' comeback and win the series for the home team, after the Spartans had won Friday night's opener and the Gophers won the second game of the series on Saturday. The series loss snapped the Spartans' streak of winning their previous three B1G weekend series.

MSU is now 10-11 in B1G action and is 22-25 overall. Minnesota improved to 23-22 overall and 9-12 in conference competition.

Junior outfielder Nick Williams was 3-for-4 with three doubles, scoring two runs and driving in one, while sophom*ore infielder Randy Seymour was 3-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored.

Freshman infielder Ryan McKay entered the weekend without any home runs, hit his second of the weekend with a solo homer on Sunday, finishing the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Junior designated hitter Noah Bright and senior catcher Sam Thompson both had two hits apiece, with Bright going 2-for-3 with a solo home run in the second stanza. Thompson was 2-for-4 and both he and Bright had two ribbies apiece and they each touched home twice. Senior outfielder Greg Ziegler was 1-for-3, but his one hit was a loud one with a three-run home run in the fourth, part of scoring two runs.

Sophom*ore Tommy Szczepanski started on the mound, before being relieved by senior Harrison Cook, freshman Gavin Moczydlowsky, freshman Logan Pikur and senior Aaron Mishoulam.

After holding Minnesota off the scoreboard in the first inning for the first time this weekend, Michigan State got on the board in a big, booming way with Bright's solo HR.

The Gophers countered quickly with two runs in the home half of the second on a two-run double, to take a 2-1 lead.

However, that would be the last the home team would score for awhile, while the visiting Spartans were just getting their scoring started, scoring at least one run from the second through the sixth stanzas.

In the third, N.Willliams knocked a two-out ground-rule double down the left-field line. Ziegler followed with a walk and McKay followed by getting hit to fill the bases full of Spartans. Thompson blooped a hit that landed between two Gopher defenders to drive in N.Williams and Ziegler, and McKay scampered home on a throwing error on the play. Bright drove Thompson in with an RBI single to the gap in right center to make it 5-2 in MSU's favor after the four-run frame.

Seymour sparked the Spartan spurt in the fourth with a leadoff single, but was later erased from the basepaths on a double play. Kark was hit by a pitch and N.Williams drew a walk. Ziegler came up next and smashed a three-run homer deep to left center, landing near the trees on top of the grassy berm beyond the left-field wall at Siebert Field and put the Green & White on top, 8-2.

Seymour again sparked the Spartan scoring spurt in the fifth with a single, and later moved up to second after a wild pitch. Three batters later, N.Williams knocked a double to left center to score Seymour for a 9-2 MSU lead.

McKay launched his second homer of the weekend to lead off the top of the sixth to rudely welcome a new Minnesota pitcher to the game. Thompson then walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, preceding Bright drawing a walk and Thompson moved to third on a wild pitch. Busch then followed precedent and joined the walk parade to load the bases. After a Gopher pitching change, Seymour smacked a two-run single up the middle to bring Thompson and Bright in to score and put the visiting Spartans ahead, 12-2.

Minnesota started its comeback with a run in the sixth and another in the seventh, before a six-run eighth, and five runs in the ninth, capped by Berkland's walk-off.

MSU returns home to McLane Stadium at Kobs Field for its final four games of the 2024 regular-season, opening with a non-conference match-up with Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, May 14 in a 6:05 p.m. first pitch at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.

The Spartans then host Nebraska in a three-game B1G weekend series, Thursday-Saturday, May 16-18 to wrap up the regular-season. Thursday and Friday's game are 6:05 p.m. start times, while Saturday's is slated for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Saturday is also MSU's Senior Day as the Spartans will honor their senior players and managers in a pre-game ceremony, so fans are encouraged to arrive early to join in the celebration.

Fans can follow MSU baseball action with "Tickets," "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.

Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.

Individual game tickets are also on sale through the Spartan Ticket Office.