Broncos Edge MSU, 4-3

April 22, 2015

East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State took an early lead, but fell to in-state rival Western Michigan, 4-3, on Wednesday at Secchia Stadium. Kassidy Kujawa and Stephanie Sanders hit home runs for the Spartans (16-31), who had nine hits in the game but left nine runners on base. Kristina Zalewski took the loss with 4.1 innings in the circle, allowing five hits and walking two while striking out three.

For the second straight day, Kujawa gave the Spartans an early lead, hitting her eighth home run of the season over the wall in center field; Sanders followed with a shot over the wall in left center for her seventh of the season, giving the Spartans a 2-0 lead before the game was three batters old. Sarah Gutknecht, who returned to the lineup last night after an eight-game layoff, singled to left, and then McKenzie Long's shot to right sailed just over the outstretched glove of right fielder Geordin Craun, putting Long on second with a standup double and moved Gutknecht to third. Both runners were stranded however, as Kus limited the damage and got out of the inning.

The Broncos tried to get back the runs in the top of the third, as Schaaf contributed a one-out single up the middle; after Goranson got Sanicki to pop out in foul territory, but Jenny Rohn singled through the right side to put a pair of runners on with two outs. The Spartans made a pitching change, bringing Kristina Zalewski into the game. She got Melissa Palmer to ground out to short to end the inning.

MSU had the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the third, courtesy of a pair of singles by Gutknecht and Ellie Stoffer and a fielder's choice on a bunt by Jacquie Reiser, but the throw was too late to get Gutknecht at second. Shanin Thomas reached on a fielder's choice that nabbed Gutknecht at home, leaving the bases loaded and one out for Destinee Luna. Luna lined out to short, and Reiser was doubled off third to end the inning.

The Broncos threatened again in the top of the fifth as Zalewski walked the leadoff batter Craun, Ivy Schaaf reached on a fielder's choice, and Sanicki reached on an infield single that scored Craun to cut MSU's lead to 2-1. Jenny Rohn grounded out for the second out, bringing Kelsea Cichocki to the plate with two in scoring position, and she came up with a single to left that scored two, giving Western Michigan its first lead of the game. Sabrina Gamboa popped up to shallow center to end the inning, but not before the Broncos had taken their first lead of the game.

In the home half of the inning, Gutknecht hit a one-out single to right, and Reiser earned a walk to leave a pair of runners on for pinch hitter Jordan Davis. Davis laced a double to left center, scoring Gutknecht but nabbing Reiser at third. Stoffer re-entered to run for Davis and immediately stole third as Thomas was walked on four pitches, but Luna popped out to shallow right to end the Spartan rally.

Erin Binkowski homered over the 220 sign in center to lead off the sixth, allowing WMU to regain the lead. Zalewski got the next three batters in order - a groundout, strikeout and lineout to short - to end the frame. Despite a leadoff walk to McBride in the bottom of the inning, the Spartans could not get her across, and entered the seventh trailing by one.

Zalewski allowed a pair of runners in the top of the seventh, but preserved the one-run defecit to give MSU a chance in the seventh - but Kus was up to the challenge, getting a trio of groundouts to end the game.

Michigan State heads to Indiana this weekend for a three-game Big Ten series. Friday's game starts at 1 p.m., with games Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

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Team Stats

Sarah Gutknecht

Lea Foerster

Kassidy Kujawa

Stephanie Sanders

Players Mentioned

Jordan Davis

Sarah Gutknecht

Kassidy Kujawa

McKenzie Long

Destinee Luna

Jacquie Reiser

Stephanie Sanders

Ellie Stoffer

Shanin Thomas

Kristina Zalewski