Shliger has 2 doubles, go-ahead RBI, No. 20 Maryland beats Michigan St. at Big Ten Tournament

OMAHA, Neb. — Luke Shliger went 2 for 3 with two doubles and the go-ahead RBI to help No. 20 Maryland beat Michigan State 3-2 Tuesday night in the opening round of the double-elimination Big Ten Tournament.

No. 1 seed Maryland (28-19) plays No. 4 seed Nebraska or fifth-seeded Rutgers on Thursday.

Jacob Orr led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and then scored when Shliger doubled down the left-field line to make it 3-2.

Dave Falco (4-0) threw 2 2/3 innings of no-hit relief with two hit by pitch, three strikeouts and no runs allowed.

No. 8 seed Michigan State (32-21) moves into the loser’s bracket.

Mitch Jebb’s single drove in Trent Farquhar to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Shliger walked to lead off the bottom half of inning, Matt Shaw hit double, and Shliger scored on Nick Lorusso’s sacrifice fly, which moved Shaw to third. Ian Petrutz followed with another sac fly to make it 2-1 going into the second inning.

Michigan State’s Greg Ziegler led off the top off the seventh with a triple and scored on Brock Vradenburg’s single to make it 2-2.

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