Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Michigan St
Michigan State Defeats Chippewas, 14-4
4/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 24, 2002
LANSING - Michigan State raked five Central Michigan hurlers for 18 hits en route to a 14-4 non-league victory here Wednesday night at Olds Park.
The Spartans are now 27-9 for the season while the Chippewas fall to 18-16.
Both teams jump-started their offense, scoring multiple runs in the first frame. Mike Gates doubled in Central's first run with a shot off the fence in left center while Gates scored when Tim Groves was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Spartans roared back with five in the bottom of the first off Ryan Cremeans. They banged out five hits including a two-run homer by Travis Gulick.
CMU picked up two in the third when Danny Gibbons walked and Gates singled. Both scored on a long triple off the center field fence by Jim Geldhof that some observers felt should have been ruled a homer. Geldhof was stranded at third with the score standing 5-4.
Michigan State upped its lead to 7-4 with a pair in the fourth inning on a two-run single by Moreno. The Spartans added another two in the sixth on a two-run single by Moreno, giving him six RBI for the game.
Cremeans took the loss for the Chippewas, going four innings and giving up 10 hits and seven earned runs. He walked two and struck out six as his record slipped to 1-1. Nick Zastrow went the next two innings and gave up two earned runs on three walks. David LeMieux was touched for five runs in the seventh and only set down two batters before giving way to Joey Fahndrich for the final out. Travis Osborn went the final inning, allowing one single and no runs.
Gates and Geldhof were the lone bright spots on offense for Central, Gates collecting three hits and Geldhof two.
The Chippewas have a four-game home series with Northern Illinois this weekend, starting with a single game on Friday at 3 p.m. CMU will hold dedication ceremonies for its new $4.2 million Theunissen Stadium before Saturday's 1 p.m. doubleheader.
