Michigan State University
15-25, 2-11
Penn State
30-9, 9-3
Softball Stuns Nittany Lions to Wrap Weekend
4/14/2024 4:05:00 PM | Softball
A win improves Michigan State to 15-25 (2-10 B1G) on the season while the Nittany Lions fall to 30-9 (9-3 B1G). The Spartans have now surpassed their win total from a season ago after earning their 15th victory of 2024.
Senior Ashlyn Roberts earned the start for the Spartans, the first of her MSU career after arriving on campus last season. Roberts pitched well through 3.1 innings, taking a shutout into the fourth before running into trouble. The Sammamish, Wash. native struck out two, allowing two earned runs on four hits. Junior Madison Taylor (3-10) came on in relief of Roberts and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. Taylor struck out two and allowed just three hits.
Sophomore Britain Beshears led MSU at the plate going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Senior Collette Allen doubled, and sophomore Kayla Bane slugged her first home run of the season, a two-run shot down the left field line. Junior Mik Anthony tied Bane for the game-high in RBI with two. Sophomore Sydney Doloszycki, senior Jenae Wash and senior Alexis Ross singled. Reaching base twice via walk was sophomore Hannah Hawley.
The Spartans struck first for the second-straight day when Beshears laced a two-out single up the middle to score Fox from second base.
Brit gets us going with a two-out RBI single in the first!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/U6ZYSRfeW1
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 14, 2024
MSU forced a Nittany Lion pitching change with none out in the second after Anthony's two-RBI single scored Allen and Bane. Doloszycki continued Michigan State's strong inning with a two-out RBI single to put the Spartans ahead 4-0.
Mik brings home two on a chopper up the middle!
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 14, 2024
We take a 3-0 lead in the second.#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/lEShXgqKaZ
Syd puts a ball into no man's land to score another for the Spartans!
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 14, 2024
MSU in front 4-0 in the second.#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/vVRmmqyQAk
Penn State cut MSU's lead in half in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run home run off the bat of Liana Jones.
Bane got those runs back for Michigan State in the fifth, picking a perfect time for her first home run of the season. Wash advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by the Nittany Lion third baseman to open the inning, putting one in scoring position for Bane, who sent a ball over the fence in left.
BANE BLAST!
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 14, 2024
Kayla Bane picks an opportune moment for her first home run of the season to put us up 6-2 in the fifth!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/cIadk8wElZ
The Nittany Lions looked to make a comeback, loading the bases in the bottom of the fifth and seventh innings. Taylor navigated trouble well and helped her own cause by making plays with her glove to get out of the frames scoreless. Penn State stranded eight baserunners over the final three innings of Sunday's game.
Maddie Taylor flashing the leather in the circle to end the sixth! She snares the comebacker as we head to the seventh.#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/EGKqtjHpmj
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 14, 2024
UP NEXT
Michigan State will be back in action for a midweek rivalry contest when the Spartans meet Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. At 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16. Tuesday night's game will be televised on Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Jennie Ritter calling the action.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Taylor, Madison (3-10)
L: Paige Maynard (3-4)
Batting:
2B: Allen, Collette 1
HR: Bane, Kayla 1
RBI: Doloszycki, Sydney 1 ; Beshears, Britain 1 ; Bane, Kayla 2 ; Anthony, Mik 2
SH: Bane, Kayla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fox, Anna 1 ; Wash, Jenae 1 ; Allen, Collette 1 ; Bane, Kayla 2 ; Ross, Alexis 1
SB: Fox, Anna 1 ; Bane, Kayla 1
Batting:
HR: Liana Jones 1
RBI: Liana Jones 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Haylie Brunson 1 ; Liana Jones 1
SB: Kaitlyn Morrison 1
HBP: Kaitlyn Morrison 1
