April 6, 2003

Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. -

Michigan State Box Score in PDF Format

The second game of Northwestern and Michigan State's doubleheader in East Lansing, Mich., saw another pitching duel as sophomore J.A. Happ (Peru, Ill./St. Bede Academy) and Michigan State's Tim Day each threw complete games. Happ won 2-0, improving his record to 4-2. Each pitcher struck out eight batters in the game. It was Happ's second complete game of the season.

Just like in the first game, NU jumped out to the early lead, as first-baseman Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) doubled to right field, scoring Jon Mikrut (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) from first. Mikrut reached on a four-pitch walk.

NU went ahead 2-0 in the top of the third when Happ scored on third-baseman Mark Ori's (Niles, Ill./Maine South) infield single. Happ reached on a throwing error by the Spartan second baseman.

The two runs proved to be enough as Happ gave up just two hits in the game, lowering his overall ERA to 2.85. After State threatened in the bottom of the second inning, Happ retired the next 10 hitters, four of them with strikeouts. Happ has struck out 42 batters in 41.0 innings pitched this season.

With the win, NU improves its record to 10-10 overall, 3-3 in the Big Ten. Michigan State falls to 7-18, 1-5. The 'Cats are next in action when they travel to Valparaiso, Ind., to play one nine-inning against Valparaiso University.