Michigan State University
17-35
Central Michigan
23-19
Spartans Tripped by Chippewas, 3-1
4/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State fell on the road on Wednesday afternoon, dropping a 3-1 decision to Central Michigan in Mt. Pleasant.
Rachel Knapp and Bridgette Rainey were engaged in a pitcher's duel all afternoon, as each tossed complete games. Knapp, the Chippewa ace, limited the Spartans to just four hits, struck out five, and limited the Spartans only a first-inning run. Rainey scattered eight hits and just one earned runs, walking just three and striking out five. However, the Spartans (17-35) committed a pair of errors, and combined with one run walked in and a wild pitch, that accounted for all three CMU runs that crossed the plate. Central Michigan improved to 23-19 with the win.
MSU came out of the gates with a strong performance. Lea Foerster led off with a bloop single to right, and two outs later, McKenzie Long sent a double to the gap in left center, plating her classmate for a 1-0 lead. Knapp recorded her second strikeout of the inning when she got Jordan Davis swinging to end the inning.
CMU's leadoff hitters reached via walk in each of the first two innings; Rainey retired the following three batters in the first, and then in the second, Sara Hansen hit into a fielder's choice, and then was thrown out trying to steal second. Three straight two-out singles by Maison Kalina, Kristen Goodall and Danielle Marlink loaded the bases for leadoff hitter Lacy Tolfree, who earned her second walk of the game and brought the tying run across the plate. Kristen Kuhlman struck out looking to end the threat. Rainey left runners at the corners in the bottom of the third, surrendering a single to left and a bunt single before getting a groundout to end the frame.
In the bottom of the fourth, Rainey earned her first strikeout by getting Goodell to swing at a third strike, but then hit Marlink to put a runner on base with one out. Tolfree singled through the right side, but Kuhlman grounded back to the pitcher, and Rainey got the lead runner at third. Trista Cox hit a ball towards third, which brought home a go-ahead run and left runners in scoring position for Katelyn Rentschler, but she grounded out to short.
Caitlyn DeLamiellure greeted Rainey with a leadoff triple in the bottom of the fifth, and Sara Hansen reached on an error. A wild pitch allowed DeLamiellure to score for a 3-1 advantage, but Hansen was thrown out at third trying to take an additional base on the play. A popout and lineout ended the inning, but not before the home team had pushed its lead out to two runs.
Meanwhile, Knapp had settled into a comfortable rhythm, and limited the Spartans to a lone baserunner in the second through fifth innings, and surrendered a Stephanie Sanders single in the sixth. Rainey worked a tidy 1-2-3 bottom of the frame, keeping the Spartans in the ballgame for its final at-bat in the seventh. Destinee Luna laced a one-out single to center in the seventh to try to start a rally, but Gutknecht flied out to left and Stoffer grounded out to second to end the ballgame.
The Spartans are back in action at Secchia Stadium on Friday for the start of a three-game series with Maryland. Gametime on Friday is 4 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Knapp (15-8)
L: Rainey, Bridgette (1-14)
Batting:
2B: Long, McKenzie 1
RBI: Long, McKenzie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Foerster, Lea 1
HBP: Davis, Jordan 1
Batting:
3B: DeLamielleur 1
RBI: Tolfree 1 ; Cox 1
SH: Rentschler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tolfree 1 ; DeLamielleur 1 ; Kalina 1
SB: Hansen_S 1
CS: Hansen_S 2
HBP: Marlink 1
