March 12, 2004

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Michigan State baseball suffered a heart-wrenching loss to No. 19 Florida State in Tallahassee, 5-4, Friday afternoon. Leading 4-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Florida State's Daniel Wardell blasted the game-winning home run over the left field fence. Michigan State falls to 4-5 while FSU improves to 14-5 on the year.

"Even though we lost, we played our best game of the year," said MSU head coach Ted Mahan. "We're getting better - that's the key to the season. Bryan (Gale) pitched a great game. It's a tough loss, but we're improving every game."

The Spartans were led by Travis Gulick who tallied his first home run of the season with a solo homer over the left field wall in the top of the third. The home run is his first of the season and 20th of his career. Gulick, who boasts a five-game hitting streak, went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and the home run. The East Lansing, Mich., native scored another run to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead in the first.

Bryan Gale threw 8.2 innings and picked up his first loss of the year in the 5-4 defeat. The Decatur, Mich., native struck out six, scattered 10 hits and allowed five runs in the loss, including the game-winning home run in the final inning of the contest.

Gale made the first appearance of his collegiate career against FSU in 2001, posting 2.1 innings of work and surrendering no runs. Today's game marks Gale's first loss since May 9, 2003, as the Spartans fell, 3-2, to Ohio State.

To open the game, MSU started sophomore Oliver Wolcott (Plymouth, Mich.) at second base and Adam Tripp (Saugus, Calif.) in right field, the first start of each player's career, respectively. Each senior on the field for Michigan State Friday, including Gale, Scott Koerber (Harper Woods, Mich.), James Moreno (Holt, Mich.) and David Miller (Whitehall, Mich.), started against the Seminoles as freshmen in the 2001 MSU-FSU series.

MSU's first four batters each put the ball in play, the first time that has happened this season as Alan Cattrysse (Chatham, Ontario), Gulick, Erik Morris (Orchard Lake, Mich.) and Koerber singled. Morris boasts a five-game hitting streak while Cattrysse has tallied at least one hit in the last four games. Freshman Sean Walker (Round Lake, Ill.) struck out to give MSU its first out of the game and Miller ground out to the shortstop but drove in Koerber to give State a 2-0 advantage before a strikeout from Moreno closed out the inning.

Florida State countered with one run in the bottom of the inning, but MSU maintained advantage.

Backed by Gale's gritty performance, Michigan State allowed just one hit in the next four innings, while the Green and White tacked on another run when Gulick sent the ball over the left field wall in the top of the third to give MSU a two-run advantage.

The sixth inning saw Scott Koerber stare down a 3-2 count and take his base as he was the only Spartan the Seminoles walked all afternoon. With the senior on base, Walker flied out to center field to give MSU its second out of the inning. Miller's precise bunt, short along the third base line, advanced Koerber to second and put Miller on first. Fellow senior Moreno stepped to the plate after striking out in the first and flying out in the fourth and hit a single through the left side as Koerber hurried home to give the Green and White a 4-1 lead.

Balanced and steady, Michigan State continued to play sound defensive ball. With one out, Florida State third baseman Gibbs Chapman doubled to center field, as Gulick played was forced to play the ball off the high center field fence. In the next at bat, Eddy Martinez-Esteve doubled to drive in Chapman and close the gap, 4-2.

In the top of the eighth, Florida State had a runner on first. MSU got the first out of the inning as Gale threw to Koerber to pick off FSU's leadoff hitter, shortstop Bryan Zech. Gale and the defense combined to close out the inning allowing no hits.

Looking for insurance in the top of the ninth, State faced a fresh pitcher, Matt DiBlasi.

Miller was out on fly foul ball and James Moreno took his base when he was hit by a pitch. Wolcott stepped to the plate and singled to left field to advance Moreno to second. With two base runners, the Spartans had their lone freshman, Tripp, at the plate.

But first, Florida State replaced DiBlasi after just one out as Kevin Lynch came to the mound.

With his first throw, Moreno and Wolcott each advanced on a passed ball while Tripp remained at the plate. The freshman struck out and leadoff hitter Cattrysse ground out to the shortstop to close out the inning.

With a two-run lead, MSU saw catcher Aaron Cheesman single to center field and Brandon Manasa come in as a pinch runner for the Seminoles. Gale struck out Ryne Malone as Derrick Smith flied out to Gulick in center field. With two outs and a two-run lead, center fielder Shane Robinson was at the plate. With an 0-2 count, Robinson singled to left field to send Manasa to second.

The game-tying runner on first base, MSU relied on its defense and its pitcher. With an 0-1 count, Wardell swung and sent the ball deep over the left field fence to drive in three runs and give the Seminoles the shocking, come-from-behind win. Lynch recorded the victory to move his season record to 3-2.

Michigan State returns to action when it faces Florida State tomorrow evening (March 13) at 7 p.m. at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee.