Michigan State University
Arizona State
Softball Falls in Doubleheader at No. 8 Arizona State
2/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 26, 2011
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Michigan State softball team (7-6) concluded its weekend series with No. 8 Arizona State on Saturday, Feb. 26 with a doubleheader in Tempe, Ariz. MSU suffered a 10-2 loss in the first game before falling 5-2 in the second.
MSU fell behind early in the first game when the Sun Devils led off the game with five-run bottom of the first. Katelyn Boyd led off the bottom half with a homer to right. Two batters later, Sam Parlich posted another home run to left center to drive in two RBIs. Mandy Urfer capped off the inning with an additional two RBIs when she singled to right to put ASU up, 5-0.
Three more Sun Devil runs went on the board in the bottom of the third. The first was posted when Boyd singled up the middle to drive in a run while the second RBIs came from the hands of Talor Haro who doubled to left center. Arizona State led 8-0 at the end of three.
The Spartans struck in the top of the fourth with two runs. Senior Jessica Bracamonte led off the inning with a solo homer to right center while fellow senior Lindsey Hansen blasted a solo dinger to center. The Green and White trailed, 8-2.
Game one came to an end when Parlich drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the first before a wild pitch scored Boyd for the second.
Hillary Bach earned the win for ASU in the opening game as she pitched all five innings to improve to 3-0. Bach allowed two earned runs on five hits while recording no strikeouts.
Junior Lauren Kramer falls to 4-2 on the year for the Spartans with her loss tonight. Kramer allowed five runs, two of which we earned, on two hits.
With game two tied at one-run each, Arizona State broke the deadlock with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Lacy Goodman doubled to right to drive in Alix Johnson and lead 2-1.
MSU was first to strike in the second when freshman Sarah Bowling singled up the middle to score junior Brett Williams who reached base with a single.
ASU responded in the bottom half of the inning with its first of the contest when Mandy Urfer singled to right center. Urfer's hit drove in Johnson from second to tie the game at one.
Three additional Sun Devils runs came across in the bottom of the third. Goodman scored the first run after Boyd doubled to center. Boyd wound up crossing after Haro reached base after an error at second allowed her on base. Annie Lockwood knocked in the final run of the inning with a single to score Haro. ASU ended the inning leading, 5-1.
The Green and White attempted to rally in the top of the seventh when senior Karen Fox led off the inning by getting hit by the pitch. Sophomore Kylene Hopkins recorded the second out of the inning when she fouled out to left with a sacrifice to score Hopkins. MSU was unable to score another run, falling 5-2.
Freshman Cassee Layne took the loss and falls to 3-4 on the young season. Layne pitched 6.0 innings of work and struck out three batters. Layne allowed five runs, two earned, on 11 hits.
Mackenzie Popescue threw 4.2 innings for the Sun Devils to earn the win and improve to 2-1. Popescue allowed one earned run on four hits while strikeout one batter faced. Dallas Escobedo pitched the final 2.1 innings to earn her first save of the season. Escobedo posted five strikeouts while allowing one unearned run on one hit.
MSU returns to action when it travels to Boca Raton, Fla., for its annual Spring Break Trip. The Spartans will play 11 games spanning 10 days. The trip is scheduled to last from March 5 through March 13 on the campus of Florida Atlantic.
