PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Butler and Michigan State were only separated by two runs for a majority of the game on Friday afternoon, but a late surge from the Spartans would secure the team's 11th win of the season. With the setback, Butler moves to 4-9 overall.

"We played toe to toe today for eight innings against a Michigan State team that is off to their best start in school history and will probably be nationally ranked next week," Head Coach Steve Farley stated.

The Spartans scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning, but the Bulldogs would fight back by scoring two in the fourth. That 4-2 score would hold true until the bottom of the eighth inning when MSU pushed five more runs across.

Butler got another quality start out of Jeff Schank who tossed seven complete innings. The lefty posted four strikeouts and only walked one batter. He allowed 10 hits, but it only resulted in four runs.

"Jeff Schank really competed on the mound for us today. When he came out of the game in the 8th after maxing out his pitch count the score was 4-2 and we really felt we had a great shot to come back and win the ballgame," Farley added.

Schank had to take the loss (0-2) and the bullpen was unable to keep MSU off the scoreboard over the final two innings.

"With Connor Mitchell scratched due to a tender elbow we were a little short in the bullpen and we gave up some runs in that last inning," Farley said. "I'm confident we can battle back tomorrow and finish up our trip with a strong performance against Illinois State."

Offensively, Butler had six different players come up with one hit each. Garrett Christman and Michael Hartnagel highlighted the unit by each recording an RBI.

The scoring on Friday opened up in the second for MSU after a sacrifice fly brought Alex Troop home. Back-to-back doubles would then increase the lead as Chad Roskelly and Kris Simonton each came up with extra base hits. Roskelly was credited with two RBIs on his poke to left center and Simonton scored Roskelly with a double to left.

Three singles got the ball rolling for Butler in the top of the fourth which resulted in two runs off four overall hits. Chris Marras, Gehrig Parker and Connor Dall all reached in the inning to load the bases for Christman with one away in the inning. Christman delivered an RBI single to center that scored the first run. The second could come home on a deep sac fly to center.

Schank held the Spartans in check for the rest of the afternoon but with his pitch count climbing he was forced out of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. The new arm didn't fare well against the Spartans as Matt Byers launched a homerun ball over the fence in left to get the inning started. Marty Bechina would then go on to record a two RBI single and after two additional runs the Spartans would hold a safe lead heading into the ninth.

Butler put two on in the ninth inning, but the Spartans were able to record two quick outs to kill any chance of a comeback. Butler will close the spring break trip tomorrow with a game vs. Illinois State.