Spartans Open Maryland Series with 4-3 Win

May 1, 2015

East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State snapped a four-game skid with a 4-3 victory over Maryland on Friday at Secchia Stadium. Kassidy Kujawa had a pair of hits and two RBI, and Kristina Zalewski tossed three innings of no-hit relief to earn the win.

The Spartans (18-35, 3-18 Big Ten) opened a Big Ten series with a win for the first time this season, and though limited to six hits, pushed the go-ahead run across in the fifth inning and got strong relief pitching to hold on for the win. Freshman Bridgette Rainey got the start, going four strong innings with three walks and four strikeouts, scattering seven hits before Zalewski came in and shut the door on the Terrapins (26-25, 8-13 B1G).

"We were strong in all aspects of the game today," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "An error-free game, a good start by Bridgette, and an excellent relief appearance by "Z". When you look at how consistent, Kujawa, Lea Foerster , McKenzie Long have been at the plate for us, and they continued today. All the pieces came together today. It was certainly a nice way to kick off our weekend."

Rainey walked two but stranded both in the top of the first, and in the bottom of the frame, Lea Foerster drew a leadoff walk, and Kassidy Kujawa followed her with a double to the wall in left. Stephanie Sanders sac fly to center brought home Foerster for a 1-0 Spartan advantage.

The Terrapins threatened in the top of the second, putting the first two batters on with bloopers to shallow right; a great throw by Destinee Luna gunned down the leadoff hitter Katelyn Schmeiser trying to take third for the first out of the inning. Rainey struck out Mandy Gardner and got Kylie Datil to fly out to left, ending the Maryland threat.

In the bottom of the third, the Spartans padded their lead. McKinzie Freimuth led off with a single up the middle, and Foerster followed with a walk. Kujawa then singled to left center, plating the pinch runner Jacquie Reiser and sending Foerster to third. McKenzie Long delivered a one-out single that brought home Foerster for a 3-1 lead, but Schmeiser got out of the inning by retiring Gutknecht and Luna.

MSU's lead disappeared with a Terrapin rally in the top of the fourth. Shannon Bustillos hit her 10th home run of the season leading off, and Katelyn Schmeiser then doubled into the left-field corner. Juli Strange singled to left to bring home the pinch runner Skylynne Ellazar to make it a 3-2 ballgame. Rainey struck out Mandy Gardner for the first out of the inning, but Datil followed with a single to put runners at second and third with just one out as the top of the order came to the plate. A sac fly by Lindsey Schmeiser was corralled in right, but Strange tagged up and scored to knot the game at three. Hanna Dewey grounded out to Freimuth to end the Terrapin rally.

Foerster tripled to lead off the bottom of the frame, and Kujawa brought her home with a sac fly to center to regain the lead at 4-3.; In the sixth, Luna hit a one-out single to extend her hitting streak to six games, but the Terps kept another win from coming across, preserving a one-run deficit in hopes of a seventh-inning rally.

Kristina Zalewski had relieved Rainey in the top of the fifth, and faced just seven batters in the fifth and sixth innings. She issued a leadoff walk to Lindsey Schmeiser, but she was erased when Dewey reached on a fielder's choice. After Corey Schwrtz flied out to right, she got Erin Pronobis on a groundout to short, ending the game.

The two teams will face off on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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Team Stats

Kassidy Kujawa

Lea Foerster

McKenzie Long

Destinee Luna

Players Mentioned

Lea Foerster

McKinzie Freimuth

Kassidy Kujawa

McKenzie Long

Destinee Luna

Bridgette Rainey

Jacquie Reiser

Stephanie Sanders

Kristina Zalewski