Eight-run seventh charges comeback win for Gophers

Published 4:41 pm Sunday, May 13, 2018

The No. 15-ranked Gopher Baseball team scored eight runs in the seventh inning, taking advantage of five Michigan State errors in the game to down the Spartans 10-5 at Siebert Field on Saturday afternoon.

Michigan State (18-27, 9-10 Big Ten) struck for a big inning of their own for the second-straight game, scoring four runs, chasing starter Patrick Fredrickson from the game after allowing three earned on eight hits in 5.0 innings. No. 15 Minnesota (33-13, 15-4 Big Ten) answered back by doubling up the Spartans’ big inning in the seventh and scoring at least a run in each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.

Terrin Vavra tripled and scored on an MSU error in the sixth, a precursor to the Gophers’ 8-run, 8-hit seventh. Cole McDevitt lifted a home run to center leading off the inning and added an RBI single in the second time through the order as the Maroon & Gold had 13 plate appearances in the inning. Vavra brought home Alex Boxwell with the game-tying run on a sacrifice fly, and the Gophers took advantage of two Michigan State errors in the inning. Riley Smith, who pinch hit earlier in the inning, got a second chance with two outs and singled home the final two runs to put an exclamation point on the inning.

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The Spartans used four different pitchers in the seventh but allowed just two earned runs on the day, with Jake Lowery (4-3) taking the defeat after allowing two runs in just 0.1 inning. Jackson Rose (4-1) picked up the win in relief of Fredrickson, allowing a run on a home run but striking out three in 4.0 innings.

Notable

Jackson Rose’s 4.0 innings represented a Gophers career high. Terrin Vavra extended his team-leading nine-game hitting streak. He’s now just one hit off the team season-long of 10 set by Ben Mezzenga earlier this season. Luke Pettersen has now reached base in 21 consecutive games, and Mezzenga in 19.