M State Baseball Team Opens Florida Trip with Win on Walk-Off Error

The M State Baseball team won their season opener on a walk-off error on Saturday as they defeated SUNY Adirondack, 8-7, in their first game of their Florida trip.  The Spartans collected 11 hits in the game with Tyson Barthel, Dain Schroeder, and Carson Bussell each contributing two.  Evan Lunde knocked in five runs in the win.

Eli Stevens (2IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 2K) was the winning pitcher, in relief of starter Hunter Holtti (5IP, 7R, 5ER, 5H, 9K, 6BB).

M State was trailing 6-3 in the fourth inning when Bussell and Cody Lofswold reached base on singles and Lunde launched a 3-run homer to tie the game.  Lunde was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, bringing home Brett Laurin who had doubled earlier in the inning, and giving the Spartans a 7-6 lead.  The lead didn't last long as SUNY Adirondack tied the game with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth. 

Schroeder and Bussell opened the seventh with singles and Schroeder came around to score the eventual winning run on an error.  SUNY Adirondack stranded runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh as M State preserved the win.

Schroeder and Brendon Kent each delivered RBI singles and eight different players scored for the Spartans.  Dalton Heater, Laurin and Barthel each delivered a double.

M State will play Vermilion in their next game on Sunday.