Michigan State University
16-28, 1-14
Minnesota
36-7, 11-3
Spartan Errors Costly In Loss to Gophers
4/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
East Lansing, Mich. -- A pair of MSU errors led to a four-run fourth for Minnesota, helping the Gophers post a 7-1 victory at Secchia Stadium on Saturday. Stephanie Sanders continued her hot hand, posting a double and a homer.
Dani Goranson got her second start of the week, taking the loss after 3.1 innings of work that featured three strikeouts and just one walk, allowing four runs. . She was relieved by Kristina Zalewski, who posted four strikeouts and allowed three runs.
"Those two errors in the fourth really forced us to pull Dani - she was very effective for how much she's had to throw this week in her first week back," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "Today, we just didn't have much going at the plate, and that's what cost us. Tomorrow, we will have seen all of their pitchers, and hopefully that will help our approach."
The Spartans fall to 16-28, dropping their 11th straight contest to the No. 13 Gophers. Minnesota improves to 36-7.
Sara Groenewegen delivered an RBI single with two on and one out in the first, after Macken singled through the right side with one out and Richardson walked to put a pair of runners on. Goranson struck out Danielle Parlich and then got Hannah Granger to ground out to get out of the inning. In the home half, Stephanie Sanders smacked a two-out solo homer over the left-field wall for her sixth homer of the season. McKenzie Long followed with a single to center, and advanced to second as it got by the fielder and rolled to the wall. Pitcher Kylie Stober hit Shanin Thomas to put a pair of runners on, which signaled the end of Stober's time in the circle; she was replaced by Nikki Anderson, who picked up the win in game one on Friday. She got Ellie Stoffer to ground out to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth, a pair of Spartan errors helped fuel a Minnesota rally that allowed the Gophers to take a 5-1 lead. With one out, Parlich legged out an infield single, and then Granger followed with a hit to the same spot, and both runners advanced on an infield error to leave runners at first and second. Catcher Taylor LeMay singled through the left side to score both runners, giving the Gophers a 3-1 lead; Meyer then singled off Reiser's glove at third to send the fourth run of the game across the plate for Minnesota. Zalewski got Macken to go down swinging to end the inning - but not before the damage was done and the Gophers held a 5-1 lead.
Minnesota added a run in the sixth when Granger drew a leadoff walk, and then pinch runner Kayla Wenner stole second and then came home on a LeMay double; LeMay came across on a Meyer single to make it 7-1. Tyler Walker hit a ball that was knocked down by a diving Long before it got through the right side; Long wheeled and threw out Meyer trying to take third, and Reiser ran Walker back to first. Erika Smyth came in to run for Walker, and was tagged out trying to steal second.
The Spartans could not get anything going in the final two innings, and the Gophers came away with a second straight win in the series. The teams will meet again on Sunday in a noon start at Secchia Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Anderson (7-2)
L: Goranson, Dani (1-1)
Batting:
2B: LeMay 1
RBI: Walker 1 ; Groenewegen 1 ; LeMay 3 ; Meyer 1 ; Palkovich 1
SH: Meyer 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Macken 1 ; Parlich 1 ; Granger 1 ; Wenner 1 ; LeMay 1 ; Cowger 1 ; Meyer 1
SB: Wenner 1
CS: Smyth 1
Batting:
2B: Sanders, Stephanie 1
HR: Sanders, Stephanie 1
RBI: Sanders, Stephanie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sanders, Stephanie 1
HBP: Thomas, Shanin 1 ; Reiser, Jacquie 1
