Michigan State University
North Carolina State
Softball Drops Doubleheader At NC State
3/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 10, 2009
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
RALEIGH, N.C. - The Michigan State softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader with NC State Tuesday afternoon. The Spartans lost a 4-3 decision in eight innings in the first game before falling 3-0 in the nightcap. Sophomore Jessica Bracamonte led the Spartans in game one, going 3-for-4 at the plate and freshman Melanie Bensema recorded her second home run of the season.
Bracamonte opened the first game with a leadoff double to center, but the Spartans (8-10) were unable to reach the scoreboard through the first two innings.
NC State (10-7) broke the scoreless game in the bottom of the second when Bridget Desbois reached on an error and Stephanie Call advanced to first after being hit by a pitch. A deep double to right field by Landon Warren scored Desbois. Alyssa Ishibashi then walked and Hannah Ojeda singled to right field, scoring Warren and Call for a 3-0 Wolfpack lead.
Freshman Melanie Bensema started a Spartan rally in the third inning with a home run to right center, her second of the season. Sophomore Karen Fox then singled off a bunt and advanced to second off a ground out by Bracamonte. Fox went to third on a single to center field by senior Kara Weigle, who also stole second. Weigle advanced to third and Fox scored off a passed ball to cut NC State's lead to 3-2. Freshman Lauren Kramer hit a ball that dropped in shallow right field to score Weigle and tie the game.
Both teams went scoreless through the remaining five innings. MSU recorded three hits and NC State posted five hits in five innings but was unable to score.
The Spartans had a chance in the fifth inning when Bracamonte reached base on a single to left field. Sophomore Lindsey Hansen then hit a high ball to deep center, just short of the fence to end the inning.
Senior Megan Hair, MSU's starting pitcher, helped the Spartans send the game into extra innings after forcing Alyssa Allbritten to pop up to second base to end the seventh inning with the bases loaded.
MSU got things started in the eighth after Bracamonte opened the inning with a single up the middle, but the following three batters were retired. Desbois, the Wolfpack's leadoff batter, hit a homer to left field to secure the win and end the game.
Hair (2-3) pitched all seven innings for MSU, recording three strikeouts.
Both teams started off slow in the second game of the doubleheader, with neither finding the scoreboard through the first four innings. NC State took a lead in the fifth inning with two runs on two hits. The Wolfpack added another run in the sixth to make it 3-0.
Kramer started in the circle for MSU in game two, posting four strikeouts through four and a quarter innings. Junior Kelly Confer took over in the middle of the fifth recording a strikeout.
MSU travels to Wilmington, N.C., on Wednesday for a game with the UNC Wilmington Seahawks at 4 p.m.
