McKay’s breakthrough homer ignites Spartans’ comeback, securing a crucial 4-3 victory in a hard-fought pitcher’s duel against Purdue.
Better late than never.
Ryan McKay, the Spartans’ top hitter from last season, crushed his first home run of the year in the bottom of the sixth inning Friday night to lift Michigan State to a much-needed 4-3 win over Big Ten foe Purdue.
It was a dogfight to open this three-game series — a pitcher’s duel that ultimately came down to just a few key moments.
The scoring began in the second inning when Purdue plated two runs in the top half. In a game that quickly turned into a small-ball battle, the Boilermakers got on the board first with a sacrifice bunt from their catcher. The following at-bat only worsened things for Michigan State, as a throwing error allowed Purdue to tack on another run and take an early 2-0 lead.
Michigan State’s season has been marked by inconsistency at the plate, with a lineup that has often struggled to provide the run support many expected. So falling behind 2-0 early against a quality Purdue team could have easily spelled trouble.
But the Spartans didn’t fold.
McKay helped spark the response in the bottom of the second with a single that moved Isaac Sturgess to second. Moments later, catcher Adam Broski drove in Michigan State’s first run with a single to cut the deficit in half. The Spartans added another shortly after when C.J. Deckinga delivered a run-scoring single that brought home McKay and tied the game at 2-2.
Deckinga, batting out of the nine-hole, came through again in the bottom of the fourth. With Broski and Nick Williams on the bases, Deckinga lined a single up the middle to plate his second RBI of the day and give Michigan State a 3-2 lead.
Aidan Donovan, who was sharp for much of the night outside of a couple of mistakes, kept Purdue in check until the top of the sixth. With two on and one out, Donovan tried to sneak one past C.J. Richmond, who ripped a double off the right-field wall. It was Richmond’s only hit of the game, but it was a massive one, scoring the tying run and knotting the game at 3-3.
That swing ended Donovan’s night after 5.1 innings of work. He allowed three earned runs, struck out five, and threw 94 pitches. Because of the tying run, Donovan was denied the chance to factor into the decision as the Spartans turned to trusted reliever Nolan Higgins.
Higgins was excellent.
The right-hander shut down Purdue over 3.2 innings, allowing just one hit while locking up the win and preserving Michigan State’s slim lead once the offense answered.
Then came McKay’s moment.
In the bottom of the sixth, McKay launched the first — and only — home run of the game. More importantly, it was his first long ball of the season.
The Spartans’ second baseman hit over .300 last year and entered the season with expectations of being one of the team’s offensive leaders. But through 24 games, McKay had been hitting just over .230 and had yet to leave the yard.
Not exactly the start he — or Spartan fans — envisioned.
But baseball has a funny way of rewarding patience, and McKay finally delivered his breakthrough in a massive moment. His towering solo shot put Michigan State back in front, and with Higgins dealing on the mound, that was all the Spartans needed.
Michigan State shut the door from there, taking the series opener 4-3 to improve to 4-6 in Big Ten play while dropping Purdue to 5-5.