Michigan State University
13-9
Columbia
3-8
Spartans Down Columbia, 3-2
3/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
Michigan State won its third straight game, a 3-2 victory over Columbia on Saturday afternoon at the Holy City Showdown at the College of Charleston. MSU (13-9) used three pitchers, with junior Valerie Kaff picking up the win in her first outing of the season. Dani Goranson tossed three shutout innings to earn her first save of the season.
Celeste Wood hit an inside-the-park home run in the top of the third inning to double MSU's lead to 2-0, and Kassidy Kujawa had a pair of RBI in a 2-for-2 effort.
Michigan State takes on No. 10/12 Georgia on Saturday night to wrap the day's action.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Celeste Wood went 2-for-3, with an inside-the-park home run and a single.
- Kassidy Kujawa was 2-for-3, with a double, sac fly and pair of RBI
- Bridgette Rainey started the game, walking one and striking out one in 2.2 innings of work. Valerie Kaff came on in relief, tossing 1.1 innings and picking up the win. Dani Goranson earned her first save of the season, tossing three innings of relief.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- A pair of base hits and a walk loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first for MSU, and Kassidy Kujawa hit a sac fly into right to plate Lea Foerster for a 1-0 lead.
- Celeste Wood doubled MSU's lead with an inside-the-park home run in the top of the third.
- The Lions rallied to knot the game in the bottom of the third. A pair of one-out hits put runners at first and second, and Reilly Metzger sacrificed the runners into scoring position. Maddie Gott and Taylor Troutt then came up with consecutive singles to bring two runs across the plate and tie the game 2-2. Head Coach Jacquie Joseph made a pitching change, giving the ball to junior Valerie Kaff - who was making her debut after an off-season injury. Kaff got the big strikeout with the bases loaded to end the inning.
- A single by Gutknecht put a runner on for the Spartans in the fifth, and Kujawa followed with an RBI double to right field with two outs to plate the go-ahead run. She was gunned down at third trying to stretch it into a triple.
- Kaff, who made her season debut, earned the win in relief. Goranson earned her first save of the season and the second of her career.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kaff, Valerie (1-0)
L: Kroll, Tessa (1-3)
S: Goranson, Dani (1)
Batting:
2B: Kujawa, Kassidy 1
HR: Wood, Celeste 1
RBI: Wood, Celeste 1 ; Kujawa, Kassidy 2
SH: Reiser, Jacquie 2
SF: Kujawa, Kassidy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Foerster, Lea 1 ; Wood, Celeste 1 ; Gutknecht, Sarah 1
SB: Gutknecht, Sarah 1
Batting:
RBI: Gott, Madison 1 ; Troutt, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cook, Kerry 1 ; Parker, Olivia 1
SB: Cook, Kerry 1 ; Metzger, Reilly 1
