GREENVILLE, SC — Michigan State baseball wrapped up its four-game series against UConn at Flour Field, home of the Greenville Drive, with a 6-1 loss on Sunday.
“We just didn’t do enough to control the pace of the game. I felt like we let Connecticut take control of the game and take it to us, we didn’t do a whole lot to attack the game and attack Connecticut, and when you sit back and you’re passive, you get beat,” MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. “It was a difficult day for us. We have a lot of guys that need to change their mindset if we’re going to move forward.”
After playing their first 18 games away from home, the Spartans now return to East Lansing for their home opener, hosting in-state foe Central Michigan on Wednesday, March 20. First pitch is slated for 4:05 p.m. at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
“We love playing at home, but we need to play better. Whether we’re at home or away, or in the parking lot or in the Dominican Republic, it doesn’t matter, we need to play hard and need to attack our opponent,” Boss said.
MSU was led by junior outfielder Bryce Kelley’s 3-for-4 outing on Sunday, while senior infielder Marty Bechina was 2-for-4 with a double. Fellow senior, outfielder Dan Chmielewski was 1-for-4 with the Spartans’ lone RBI on the day, a single up the middle in the fifth to plate freshman infielder Reese Trahey, who led off the inning with a walk. Senior infielder Royce Ando was 1-for-1 to round out the seven Spartan hits.
Spartan junior pitcher Mitchell Tyranski started for the Spartans and struck out seven in 5.0 IP, while senior reliever Evan Flohr fired five K’s in 2.1 IP of relief.
Michigan State threatened in the home half of the second, as Ando and Kelley led off with back-to-back singles, but UConn turned a double play and got a foul out to end the threat. UConn scored an unearned run in the top of the third after back-to-back two-out singles for an early 1-0 lead.
Bechina led off the Spartan fourth with a double off the top off the Green Monster at Fluor Field, but the rally fizzled without a run.
The Huskies loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fifth, getting an RBI single for a 2-0 lead, before a double play on a lineout to Bechina at shortstop and he flipped to junior infielder Bailey Peterson at second, to double up the runner and close the door on the rally.
The Spartans’ two-run deficit was short-lived as they plated a run in the bottom of the fifth, after Trahey ignited the rally by leading off with a walk. Trahey then stole second and moved up to third on a UConn error on the play. Two batters later, Chmielewski laced a single to center to plate Trahey, drawing MSU within, 2-1.
Flohr came in to start the sixth and worked out of a leadoff walk, getting a fly out to end the inning. The Green & White threatened in the home half of the sixth with a Kelley single, but the rally fizzled without a run. In the seventh, Michael Woodworth belted a solo home run to lead off the inning before Flohr struck out the side.
The Huskies broke the game open with three runs in the top of the eighth, and the Spartans were unable to counter.
Michigan State’s 2019 home opener is Wednesday, March 20 against Central Michigan at 4:05 p.m. at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
