May 21, 2011
Box Score
Site: East Lansing, Mich. (McLean Baseball Stadium)
Score: Northwestern 6¸ Michigan State 5
Records: NU (20-29, 10-13 Big Ten), Michigan State (34-19, 15-9 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Completion of season
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- One year after playing a thriller in the regular-season finale, Northwestern and Michigan State locked horns in another classic Saturday afternoon. A two-run top of the seventh inning by the Wildcats was the difference as they earned a 6-5 win in their 2011 finale at McLane Stadium.
With a shot at next week's Big Ten tournament no longer a possibility, the Wildcats took the field looking to send their seniors out on a high note while carrying momentum into next season. Meanwhile, the Spartans were playing to win the Big Ten regular-season title outright.
All three Northwestern seniors got the start in the season finale. As he has been all throughout his career, Chris Lashmet got the nod at third base, while Brant Cavagnaro made just the second Big Ten start of his four-year stint in left field.
Left-hander Matt Gailey was given the go-ahead to make his fourth career start on the mound and surrendered a pair of two-out triples in the first as the Spartans jumped out to an early lead.
NU surged in front against Andrew Waszak in the third, scoring three times to take a 3-1 lead. Patrick Miller started things with a one-out walk before left fielder Jordan Keur made an ill-advised diving attempt on a ball hit by Trevor Stevens that resulted in an RBI triple. Lashmet followed with a grounder to shortstop and Justin Scanlon's throw to the plate sailed over the catcher's head, allowing Stevens to score and Lashmet to go to second. Jack Havey capped the inning with a two-out run-scoring double down the left-field line.
After surrendering the back-to-back hits in the first, Gailey settled into a groove on the mound. He allowed a leadoff walk in the second before retiring eight consecutive batters. An error to start the fifth broke the string before Gailey sat down the next three batters to keep the lead at three.
Northwestern added a run to its lead in the top of the sixth, chasing Waszak from the game in the process. Havey missed a leadoff home run by a foot, settling for a double. An ensuing walk to Kyle Ruchim marked the end of Waszak's day as MSU brought on Tim Simpson. Following a sacrifice bunt by Jack Livingston, Cavagnaro delivered a grounder to the right side that plated Havey to make it 4-1.
Michigan State's high-powered offense finally came to life in the bottom of the sixth. The Spartans put their first five batters of the inning aboard as three singles and two walks brought two runs home and loaded the bases with no out out, prompting NU to bring on Jack Quigley to pitch.
The side-winding right-hander got Tony Wieber to hit into a 4-6-3 double play with the tying run coming in to score on the play. Justin Scanlon then delivered an RBI single up the middle and suddenly the hosts were in front 5-4.
The Wildcats bounced right off the deck, though, scoring twice in the top of the 7th to go back in front 6-5. Miller started the inning with a single before advancing to second on a sac bunt by Stevens. A single by Lashmet put runners on the corners before Paul Snieder surprised everyone with a squeeze bunt to tie the game. Havey then delivered his third double of the day, down the right-field line, to give Northwestern the lead.
Ruchim came on to pitch the seventh and stranded the tying run at third base. With two outs and Jared Hook on first in the eighth, Scanlon singled to right field. Livingston's throw to third base was cut off by Stevens who threw behind Scanlon at first with Havey slapping on the tag for the third out.
Ruchim went back out for his third inning of work in the ninth and allowed a one-out single to Jordan Keur to put the tying run on base. Brandon Eckerle followed with a grounder to third and Lashmet threw to second for the force for the second out. A pitch in the dirt to Ryan Jones allowed Eckerle to barely beat Geoff Rowan's throw to second, putting the tying run in scoring position. But Ruchim nailed down the victory and his fourth save of the season by getting Jones to fly out to Trevor Stevens in shallow left field to end the game.
Havey paced NU at the plate with the three doubles and two RBI. Miller contributed two hits while scoring two runs. Quigley (2-1) worked one inning to pick up the win on the mound.
The loss cost Michigan State the outright Big Ten title as it was forced to share the crown with Illinois by virtue of the Illini's 6-5 win over Indiana.
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