Friday, February 21
Fort Myers, Fla.
12:15 pm
Michigan State University
2-8
5
vs
3
Harvard
0-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Harvard
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
3
7
1
Michigan State
0
0
3
0
0
2
X
5
5
3
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ladd, Sarah (1-6)
L: G. Poulos, Lindsay (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Bobowski, Lauren 1 ; Welsh, Megan 1 ; Heffley, Allison 1 ; Jean, Kendall 1
RBI: Heffley, Allison 1 ; Shaw, Teagan 1 ; Jean, Kendall 1
SH: Shaw, Teagan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bobowski, Lauren 1 ; Heffley, Allison 1 ; Shaw, Teagan 1
Batting:
2B: Ladd, Caitie 1 ; Meech, Mackenzie 1
RBI: Quinlan, Katie 1 ; Holt, Erica 1 ; Meech, Mackenzie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Quinlan, Katie 1 ; Ladd, Caitie 1 ; Bartz, Joanna 1 ; Joyner, Laney 1 ; Wash, Jenae 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
ph/lf
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
ph/1b
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
3B/C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
SS/UTL
/ Softball
SS/UTL
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
1B/UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
Photo by: Eric Espada/Michigan University
Spartans Rally Late For 5-3 Win Over Harvard
2/21/2020 3:03:00 PM | Softball
Estero, FL -- Michigan State earned a 5-3 victory over Harvard in the nightcap of its Friday doubleheader at the FGCU Spring Break Invitational.
Mackenzie Meech broke a 3-3 deadlock in the bottom of the sixth inning with an RBI double. Caitie Ladd led off the bottom of the sixth with a double for the Spartans and Joanna Bartz walked, setting up Meech's two-out base hit.
MSU (2-8) took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, but Harvard scored twice in the fourth and once more in the fifth to knot the score at 3-3. Both Spartan pitchers were strong – Walker got out of a jam in the third that limited the damage to a pair of runs, and Sarah Ladd left the bases loaded in the top of the fifth and allowed just one run to cross the plate.
Alli Walker started the game and went four strong innings, scattering four base hits, striking out five, and giving up two runs. Sarah Ladd earned the win with three relief innings, allowing three hits and striking out a pair. Harvard pitcher Lindsay Poulos went a strong six innings in her collegiate debut, scattering five hits and striking out three.
Allison Heffley led Harvard with a pair of base hits, while MSU had five players with a base hit each.
The Spartans will play both Southern Illinois and host FGCU when they return to action on Saturday.
QUOTABLE
" Timely hitting has been a bit of an achilles heel for us so far this year, which also happened for us in a one-run loss in the first game today. We did get the late rally and the big base hit in the sixth inning today, which hopefully should help build our confidence. I thought that our pitchers really had a good day – Sarah Ladd was finally rewarded with a win after a few really unfortunate losses where we didn't give her any run support. Lots to continue to build off of and grow, and we'll look to continue that all tomorrow with two more games "
TOP PERFORMERS
STATS AND STORYLINES
Mackenzie Meech broke a 3-3 deadlock in the bottom of the sixth inning with an RBI double. Caitie Ladd led off the bottom of the sixth with a double for the Spartans and Joanna Bartz walked, setting up Meech's two-out base hit.
MSU (2-8) took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, but Harvard scored twice in the fourth and once more in the fifth to knot the score at 3-3. Both Spartan pitchers were strong – Walker got out of a jam in the third that limited the damage to a pair of runs, and Sarah Ladd left the bases loaded in the top of the fifth and allowed just one run to cross the plate.
Alli Walker started the game and went four strong innings, scattering four base hits, striking out five, and giving up two runs. Sarah Ladd earned the win with three relief innings, allowing three hits and striking out a pair. Harvard pitcher Lindsay Poulos went a strong six innings in her collegiate debut, scattering five hits and striking out three.
Allison Heffley led Harvard with a pair of base hits, while MSU had five players with a base hit each.
The Spartans will play both Southern Illinois and host FGCU when they return to action on Saturday.
QUOTABLE
" Timely hitting has been a bit of an achilles heel for us so far this year, which also happened for us in a one-run loss in the first game today. We did get the late rally and the big base hit in the sixth inning today, which hopefully should help build our confidence. I thought that our pitchers really had a good day – Sarah Ladd was finally rewarded with a win after a few really unfortunate losses where we didn't give her any run support. Lots to continue to build off of and grow, and we'll look to continue that all tomorrow with two more games "
- Head Coach Jacquie Joseph
TOP PERFORMERS
- Mackenzie Meech had a double and a pair of RBI.
- Katie Quinlan had an RBI double.
- Alli Walker went four innings, striking out five and walking one, allowing two earned runs
- Sarah Ladd earned the win in the circle with three relief innings, scattering three hits and walking two.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- MSU got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third to break a scoreless tie. Laney Joyner walked and went to third on a base hit by Camryn Wincher; Katie Quinlan stepped in and put down a perfect bunt, scoring Joyner from third and advancing pinch runner Jenae Wash and Quinlan to third and second, respectively as the Crimson tried to make a play at the plate. Erica Holt reached on an error, which scored both Wash and Quinlan for a 3-0 lead. An impressive running catch by the Harvard center fielder and an on-target throw doubled off Holt to end the inning.
- The Crimson answered in the top of the fourth. Three straight hits – a pair of singles and a double by freshman Kendall Jean – put a pair of runs on the board to trim the Harvard deficit down to 3-2. That's all the Crimson would get in the inning, as Walker stranded a pair on the basepaths.
- MSU looked to get the runs back in the bottom of the fourth, as Kennedy Wyllie drew a one-out walk, followed by pinch hitter Abby Joseph singling up the middle to move Wyllie to second. The Spartans would strand both, however, to keep it a one-run game.
- Harvard loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fifth inning off of Sarah Ladd, who entered in the top of the frame in relief. Heffley picked up her second base hit of the day with a shot up the middle that tied the game 3-3, but a throw from Holt nabbed the trailing runner for the first out of the inning. Sarah Ladd got a popup for the second out of the inning, She walked the next batter, but retired senior Isabelle Hough on a strikeout to end the inning.
- Caitie Ladd doubled to left center to lead off the bottom of the sixth, looking to get the go-ahead run for the Spartans. Pitcher Lindsey Poulos walked Joanna Bartz but then retired Wyllie on a fly ball to center. After a strikeout for the second out of the frame, Mackenzie Meech doubled into left to score both runners for a 5-3 MSU advantage.
A Road Less Traveled | Spartans All-Access
Thursday, April 17
A Higher Standard | Spartans All-Access
Tuesday, February 11
Spartans All-Access: Jenae Wash
Thursday, April 11
Spartans All-Access: Coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley
Thursday, April 20