EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State scored five times in both its first and final at-bats and used the big innings to take down Purdue baseball, 12-2, Friday afternoon.
The Spartans (28-17, 10-6 Big Ten) racked up 14 hits and won for the eighth time in their last nine Big Ten games. The Boilermakers (14-32, 1-15 Big Ten) played MSU even from innings two through seven, but also hit into three double plays and left 10 men on base throughout the game.
Brett Carlson singled twice and walked twice to reach base safely in all four of his plate appearances. Jack Picchiotti had three hits and drove in a pair with an opposite-field double in the second inning.
Michigan State took advantage of an error to score five unearned runs in the bottom of the first. After two walks and a throwing error by Brandon Krieg on a force out attempt at second base loaded the bases, the Spartans scored their first run of the day on a sacrifice fly. Three straight singles and a bases-loaded hit by pitch followed as Purdue starter Matt Frawley (1-9) was unable to get the final out of the inning.
Purdue Highlights from the BTN Telecast
The eight-hole in the MSU lineup finished the day 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Anthony Cheky was 3-for-3 before being lifted with an injury following his single in the fifth inning. His pinch runner was thrown out trying to steal by Picchiotti in the sixth inning, but a single by Alex Troop from the eight-hole ignited the Spartans' second-five rally of the day if the bottom of the eighth.
Mark Weist's three-run double with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth inning officially blew the game open for the Michigan State.
Tanner Andrews and Mike Lutz both enjoyed successful stretches on the mound in long-relief roles. Andrews surrendered just one hit to the first seven batters he faced, striking out MSU's No. 4 and 5 hitters in a scoreless second inning. But he was hit in the leg by a sharp comebacker off the bat of Weist to begin the bottom of the fourth and had to leave the game. After allowing the inherited runner to score, Lutz put up three consecutive zeroes from the fifth through seventh innings. Both runs Lutz was charged with scored after he left the mound in the bottom of the eighth.
Purdue had at least two base runners in five of the six innings against MSU starter Cam Vieaux (4-5), who walked six and struck out four over 5 2/3 innings. The Boilermakers had their first two batters reach base safely in the first, second and fourth innings, but only scored on Picchiotti's double in the middle of those three frames.
Harry Shipley walked twice to extend his reached base safely streak to 15 consecutive games. However, the freshman's 10-game hit streak came to an end Friday. Kyle Johnson doubled in the fifth inning to extend his reached base streak to 11 straight games. Carlson has now been on base in the last 10 games in which he has played.
Game two of the series is set for 1 p.m. Saturday.
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