MSU baseball: Spartans face Illinois again

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A four-run sixth inning and sparkling relief pitching from freshman David Garner helped the Michigan State baseball team to a 6-3 win over Minnesota this afternoon and moves the Spartans into tonight's championship round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Second-seeded MSU (36-21) will face No. 1 seed Illinois at 7:05 tonight. The Illini defeated the Spartans 4-1 on Friday night in the double-elimination tourney. Should the Spartans win tonight, the two teams will play a do-or-die game at noon Sunday for the Big Ten's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

MSU has not made the NCAA Tournament since 1979.

Joel Fisher's two-run, two-out single brought home the go-ahead runs for the Spartans in the sixth. It came after a bases-loaded RBI sacrifice fly by Justin Scanlon and a bunt RBI single by Tony Wieber tied the game.

Wieber also brought home the Spartans' final run with a bases-loaded walk in the seventh. Jared Hook's RBI single in the fourth drove in MSU's first run after the Gophers had taken a 3-0 lead on Spartans starter Andrew Waszak.

Sophomore righty Waszak left with two outs in the top of the fourth, giving way to Garner with two runners on after Minnesota had already brought home three runs.

Garner (5-4) got a flyout to end that inning, then pitched four more scoreless innings to earn the win. He allowed four hits and struck out three.

Wieber, the usual right fielder, came on to pitch in the ninth and earned his eighth save of the season.

Torsten Boss was 3 for 4 for MSU, and Ryan Jones had two hits.Redshirt freshman

Chase Rihtarchik will start tonight for MSU against Illinois. The 6-foot-4 righty from Rochester Hills is 1-3 with a 5.84 ERA this season in 10 games, including three starts. The Illini will start left-hander Corey Kimes (3-4, 5.81 ERA).