Michigan State University
16-26, 1-12
Michigan
38-6, 11-2
Spartans Fall to No. 4 Michigan, 10-0
4/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
East Lansing, Mich. -- In a midweek Big Ten tilt, Michigan State fell to No. 4 Michigan, 10-0 in five innings. MSU's losing streak reaches nine games with the loss.
"It's the small things that we're letting get away that are killing us," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "By and large, I was happy with our pitching staff today, but we don't help ourselves when we allow innings to continue with errors or walks. I was a little disappointed that we abandoned our plan at the plate, and paid the price by being no-hit. Limiting a team that hits .344 to six hits on the day should put you in a pretty good position, but we took ourselves out of it."
The Spartans (16-26, 1-12 B1G) stuck to their plan and used all four pitchers, and limited the Wolverines (38-6, 11-2 B1G) to just six hits, but paid dearly for seven walks, four errors, and two hit batsmen. The Spartans could not come up with a hit against Wolverine hurler Megan Betsa, and were limited to just two baserunners on the day. A pair of home runs by Kelly Christner - a solo shot in the fourth and a grand slam in the fifth - helped put an early end to the game, which ended after just five innings.
The first run for the Wolverines came in the top of the third, as Sierra Romero was hit by a pitch, stole second, and moved to third on an error. Dani Goranson relieved starter Bridgette Rainey, walked Christner, and then a passed ball allowed Romero to score from third. After Goranson hit Kelsey Susalla, a long sacrifice fly by Lauren Sweet allowed Christner to score from third for a 2-0 lead. Lindsey Montemarano came up with UM's second hit of the day, a double up the left-field line, which brought across the third run of the inning. A pair of infield errors around a walk plated two more runs and left a pair of runners on with a 5-0 lead for the Wolverines, but Goranson got Sierra Lawrence to pop up to end the inning to end the Wolverine rally.
The Wolverines added to their lead with Christner's solo home run to right with one out in the fourth. After walking Susalla, Goranson was relieved by Valerie Kaff, who got Lauren Sweet (popout) and Falk to go down swinging to strand the two runners and halt any chance at another Wolverine rally.
The Wolverines put the game away in the top of the fifth. Tera Blanco led off by reaching on an error, and Abby Ramirez picked up a base hit, just the fourth hit of the day for the Wolverines. Kaff walked Sierra Lawrence to load the bases without an out, and Romero then hit the ball to first, and McKinzie Friemuth threw home to get the forceout and save a run. Christner, who hit a solo homer in the previous inning, came up and smacked her second home run of the game - a grand slam over the right field wall - to increase UM's lead to 10-0.
Kristina Zalewski entered the game in relief of Kaff, and immediately got Susalla to strike out swinging. Sweet hit a comebacker up the middle to put a runner on first, but Zalewski got Montemorano to ground out back to the circle to end the visitor half of the frame. MSU went down in order in the bottom of the inning to end the game.
The Spartans and Wolverines will face off again next Tuesday in Ann Arbor, in a 7 p.m. game that will air live on Big Ten Network. The Spartans host Minnesota in a three-game Big Ten series that starts Friday at 4 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Betsa (18-4)
L: Rainey, Bridgette (1-9)
Batting:
2B: Montemarano 1
HR: Christner 2
RBI: Christner 5 ; Sweet 1 ; Montemarano 1
SF: Sweet 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lawrence 1 ; Romero 2 ; Christner 3 ; Susalla 1 ; Montemarano 1 ; Wald 1 ; Ramirez 1
SB: Lawrence 1 ; Romero 1
HBP: Romero 1 ; Susalla 1
Batting:
SH: Luna, Destinee 1
