SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The Diamond 'Dogs closed out action at the MLB Desert Invitational on Sunday afternoon falling to Michigan State, 7-4 at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
Fresno State (1-2) was limited to four hits by Michigan State (2-0) with Bobby Blandford smacking a triple and Grady Morgan, Tyler Davis and Marco Pirruccello drilling one single apiece.
On the mound, Roman Angelo made the start tossing three innings allowing four hits, three earned runs, four walks and struck out five.
Newcomer Bryce Armstrong and Victor Arreola followed with two innings apiece and Tommy Hopfe jumped out of the designated hitter spot in the eighth to toss the final two innings.
How It Happened
Getting out of a first-inning jam, Angelo stranded the bases loaded full of Spartans with a strikeout of Casey Mayes.
The 'Dogs answered back with two runs in the bottom of the frame scoring on an RBI groundout by Hopfe and a sacrifice fly by Payton Allen for a 2-0 lead.
The Spartans responded with a three-run third inning getting a run on an RBI single to right and a two-run triple to right-center by Mayes.
An RBI double that scored a Spartan from first base and another run came home on a double play in the fifth to extend Michigan State's lead to 5-2.
The Bulldogs cut the Spartans' lead down to one with two runs in the sixth getting an RBI triple to center by Blandford followed by a throwing error by MSU that allowed Blanford to come home from third.
Able to keep the Spartans' within one run heading to the ninth, Michigan State added a pair of insurance runs as the 'Dogs could only muster a single in the bottom of the frame.
Game Notes
Michigan State cut the 'Dogs lead in the all-time series, 5-4 and snapped the 'Dogs four-game winning streak over the Spartans.
Armstrong and Arreola made their Bulldog debuts.
Up next
The 'Dogs return home for their first home series of the season next weekend hosting Nebraska-Omaha (0-3) for a four-game series starting Thursday at 6:05 p.m. PT.