Spartans Fall in One-Run Game to Terps, 6-5

May 2, 2015

East Lansing, Mich. - A pair of seventh-run doubles were the difference for Maryland, as the visiting Terps posted a 6-5 win over Michigan State on Saturday afternoon. The series, now knotted at a game each, will conclude on Sunday afternoon in the final game this season at Secchia Stadium, before which both team's seniors will be honored.

Michigan State (18-36, 3-19 B1G) fell behind in the first inning, as Maryland staked a 4-0 lead in the top of the frame, but the Spartans battled back to knot the game, and the teams battled through to the seventh inning. Sarah Gutknecht and Kassidy Kujawa both homered in the contest, as MSU upped it's total to 35 for the season.

The visitors scored four runs in the opening frame, all with two outs. A leadoff single was quickly extinguished as Destinee Luna turned the double play, but Corey Schwartz hit a home run over the left field wall to give the Terps an early lead. Goranson hit Erin Pronobis and walked Shannon Bustillos, and a standup double by Kaitlyn Schmeiser brought both home for a 3-0 advantage, and Juli Strange followed with another hit up the middle to plate Schmeiser. but Goranson got out of the inning with a Kylie Datil to fly out to center.

The Spartans answered immediately. Hanna Dewey hit leadoff hitter Lea Foerster and walked Kassidy Kujawa, and Sanders sacrificed them over to second and third, respectively. Dewey walked McKenzie Long to load the bases, but she got Destinee Luna to strike out for the second out of the inning. Sarah Gutknecht delivered a big shot over the wall in left to knot the score at four with a grand slam.

The Spartans went to Kristina Zalewski in the second, who issued a one-out walk to Lindsey Schmeiser, but got Dewey to line out to Luna, who then wheeled and doubled Schmeiser at first for the double play. In the third, Schwartz came up with her second of the hit of the day on a sharp shot up the right field line , and she was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Erin Pronobis. Bustillos walked, and Kaitlyn Schmeiser delivered an RBI double down the left-field line to score Schwartz. Zalewski got the next two batters swinging to end the inning, but the Terps had gotten the go-ahead run to take a 5-4 lead.

The Spartans left the bases loaded in the third, which featured Luna extending her hitting streak to seven straight games with a single up the middle, but the tying run didn't come until the fourth, when Kujawa launched her 11th home run of the season into the Red Cedar River over the center field wall, which tied her for fifth in a single-season at MSU (her 14 career homers is tied for 9th in a career). After Brenna Nation walked Sanders, she was replaced in the circle by Jaymi Bautista-Geiger, who struck out Luna after allowing Long to reach on a fielder's choice.

The visitors looked to get back a lead in the top of the fifth, as Pronobis reached on a single, and Bustillos reached on an error, which left a pair of runners in scoring position with none out. Zalewski got Kaitlyn Schmeiser and Strange to strike out swinging, and then intentionally walked Mandy Gardner to load the bases. Sophomore Sarah Calta stepped in and grounded out to Freimuth at first to end the threat, leaving the bases loaded.

The Terps broke the tie in the top of the seventh. Kaitlyn Schmeiser doubled to right center to lead off the inning, and was brought home with a one-out double by Gardner. Pinch hitter Bridget Hawvermale popped out to Stoffer behind the plate for the second out of the inning and then Zalewski induced Lindsey Schmeiser to groundout to Freimuth at first for the third out of the frame. MSU got a runner on in the bottom of the frame, but couldn't find an equalizing tally.

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Team Stats

Alyssa McBride

Lea Foerster

Kassidy Kujawa

Destinee Luna

Players Mentioned

Lea Foerster

Sarah Gutknecht

Kassidy Kujawa

McKenzie Long

Destinee Luna

Kristina Zalewski