Michigan State University
9-12
Oakland
6-14
Softball Grounds Golden Grizzlies in Home Opener
3/18/2025 8:16:00 PM | Softball
MSU improves to 9-12 overall while the Golden Grizzlies fall to 6-14. The Spartans are back at Secchia Stadium for a weekend series against Ohio State on March 21-23, with first pitch on Friday, March 21 set for 5:00 p.m.
Freshman Carsyn Cassady made her second start of the season in the circle tossing 4.0 innings and striking out one with five earned runs allowed. Sophomore Ava Mullen (1-0) came in from the bullpen in the fifth, striking out two with no runs to earn her first career win. Senior Madison Taylor earned her second save of the season tossing 2.0 scoreless innings with no hits and two strikeouts.
It was another perfect day at the plate for junior Hannah Hawley who was 1-for-1 with a solo home run and three walks. Hawley drove in two runners, bringing herself home on her long ball and drawing a bases loaded walk. Junior Britain Beshears socked a three-run blast in the first inning, her fifth of the season. Sophomore Kendall Smiley, junior Kaelin Cash and freshman Ava Coffinger turned in multi-hit performances, each with a pair of singles. Senior Collette Allen's lone hit of the day was a laser shot over the fence in left.
Beshears got the Spartan offense going early when her first inning three-run shot to right center field gave MSU a 3-0 lead. Smiley singled to center to lead-off the inning for MSU and Hawley walked to put two on for Beshears.
B1 | MSU 3 - OAK 0
— Michigan State Softball (@MSU_Softball) March 18, 2025
Brit bomb to open Secchia! 💥
Britain Beshears hits a three-run homer to get the scoring started in the first inning!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/dmxJupuD5Y
Oakland used a three-run blast of its own to tie the game in the second inning before taking a narrow 4-3 lead over the Spartans with a two-out single in the third.
Allen tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth on a solo home run down the left field line that got out of the park in a hurry.
B4 | MSU 4 - OAK 4
— Michigan State Softball (@MSU_Softball) March 18, 2025
That ball got out in a hurry!
Collette Allen ties the game with a solo shot down the left field line!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/bgbEXXdPqx
A lead-off Golden Grizzlies home run in the fifth briefly tied the game at 5-5 before Hawley returned the favor in the home half, sending her sixth home run of the season over the fence in dead center. Junior Sydney Doloszycki gave Michigan State the lead for good later in the inning on a sac fly to right that scored the game-winning run in Beshears.
B5 | MSU 5 - OAK 5
— Michigan State Softball (@MSU_Softball) March 18, 2025
Hannah Hawley ties the game up with her sixth home run of the season, this one to dead center!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/ta7ZUm2gGT
Hawley provided more insurance for the Spartans in the sixth when she drew a bases loaded walk to plate sophomore Hannah Greer who reached on a pinch hit walk earlier in the frame.
Oakland put runners on the corners in the seventh, but Taylor locked down her second save of the season with a swinging strikeout to end the game.
FINAL | Michigan State 7 - Oakland 5
— Michigan State Softball (@MSU_Softball) March 18, 2025
Madison Taylor locks down another save with a swinging strikeout!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/kbcq6WOIle
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mullen, Ava (1-0)
L: Alyssa Balcom (4-7)
S: Taylor, Madison (2)
Batting:
2B: Kayla Turmell 1
HR: Madi Herrington 1 ; Brooklyn Wyczalek 1
RBI: Madi Herrington 1 ; Kayla Turmell 1 ; Brooklyn Wyczalek 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Madi Herrington 2 ; Kayla Turmell 1 ; Erin Mackin 1 ; Brooklyn Wyczalek 1
SB: Madi Herrington 1 ; Storm Kentros 1
Batting:
HR: Hawley, Hannah 1 ; Beshears, Britain 1 ; Allen, Collette 1
RBI: Hawley, Hannah 2 ; Beshears, Britain 3 ; Doloszycki, Sydney 1 ; Allen, Collette 1
SF: Doloszycki, Sydney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Smiley, Kendall 1 ; Hawley, Hannah 2 ; Beshears, Britain 2 ; Allen, Collette 1 ; Greer, Hannah 1
SB: Smiley, Kendall 1 ; Herman, Hannah 1 ; Coffinger, Ava 1
