'M' drops thrilling series finale, loses three of four to Spartans

Michigan State left fielder Tom Hartley closed his glove around Michigan second baseman Bobby Scales' long drive, and leapt into the air - dashing the Michigan baseball team's hopes for a fantastic comeback.

But Hartley was really just finishing a job he had started a half-inning before.

The junior blasted a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the ninth yesterday, ending a fierce Michigan comeback and sealing an 11-10 victory for the Spartans, who took three of four games from the Wolverines in the series.

After three one-sided games, yesterday's slugfest at Fisher Stadium typified the bitter rivalry between the two evenly matched teams.

Battling back from an early six-run deficit, Michigan (6-10 Big Ten, 16-20-1 overall) entered the ninth inning with a 10-9 lead. The Spartans were down to their final out with a runner on first, and it appeared as if Michigan was going to pull off an amazing comeback to earn a split in the series.

But Hartley had other ideas.

Hartley, who was already 2-for-4 on the day, came up to bat against Michigan closer Tyler Steketee, who was making a bid for his fifth save of the season. Steketee had been effective in the game, relieving Nick Alexander to open the seventh inning and facing the minimum six batters going into the ninth. Steketee had just forced Spartans catcher Joe Kalczynski to fly out to center, and had two outs with a runner on first.

His first pitch to Hartley was a ball, but Hartley connected with the next, lofting a long drive to right field.

Michigan right fielder Derek Besco sprinted to the wall, gauged the ball, and leapt, but Hartley's drive sailed just over his outstretched glove. It was his first homer of the season, and it couldn't have come at a worse time for the Wolverines.

"You always want your closer on the mound with a one run lead," Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said. "You've got to give Hartley credit for getting the job done."

The Wolverines refused to go down without a fight in their half of the ninth. After center fielder Brian Bush started the inning with a base hit, the junior advanced to second on catcher Mick Kalahar's bunt. Bush took third on a wild pitch by reliever Chris Yens, and remained there as Scales came to the plate with two outs.

Scales battled, working the count to 3-and-2 before flying out to Hartley at the warning track to end the game.

"It was a tough loss for us," Zahn said. "We played hard, we battled back, and we had a chance to win at the end. It didn't happen for us."

The offensive fireworks yesterday were a change from the pitchers' duels that took place in the previous games.

Brian Steinbach (3-5) pitched Michigan's only victory of the series, a 6-0 gem in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. The senior allowed just four hits in his complete-game victory.

But Michigan State (7-9, 18-19) had the advantage on the mound for the rest of the series. Mark Mulder, considered the best pitching prospect in college baseball by many scouts, befuddled the Wolverines in Saturday's first game - a 7-2 Michigan State victory. He tossed a complete game as well, striking out eight, and the Spartans kept the offensive pressure on, scoring in all but one inning.

On Friday, Michigan State's Brian Murphy went the full nine innings as the Spartans pounced on the Wolverines, 10-1. Murphy limited Michigan to just four hits, and faced the minimum 18 batters in his last six innings.

"Murphy and Mulder pitched pretty well against us," Zahn said. "Mulder's got great stuff and we gave him an early lead. Its tough to beat him when he has a lead."

04-20-98