Beshears, Hawley Go Long To Earn Season-Opening Win vs. BYU

Friday, February 6

Clearwater, Fla.

5 PM

Michigan State University

0-0

BYU

0-1

Michigan State

BYU

Beshears, Hawley Go Long To Earn Season-Opening Win vs. BYU

2/6/2026 8:31:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

East Lansing, Mich. -- Michigan State opened the season with a 8-4 victory over BYU on Friday night at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida.

Seniors Britain Beshears and Hannah Hawley both went 2-for-3 with a homer. Hawley had an RBI single in the third and a solo homer in the fifth, while Beshears had a single and a sixth-inning grand slam.

Autumn Behlke earned the win in the circle, surrendering four hits and walking just one for her first victory as a Spartan.

The Spartans took a 2-0 lead through its first five at-bats, with Hannah Hawley delivering an RBI single in the third before putting a ball over the wall in left in the top of the fifth. The Cougars had their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fifth, and went on to score four runs on three hits. MSU countered with a six-run sixth, with Payton Conroy starting it with a pair of RBI after a Hannah Greer single and Kendall Smiley reaching on an error. Kirsten Caravaca reached on a fielder's choice and an intentional walk to Hawley loaded the bases for Beshears, who quickly cleared the bases with a grand slam.

MSU (1-0) completes the day of action with a showdown with Auburn; BYU falls to 2-0 after being no-hit by Tennessee on Thursday.

PLAYER HIGHS

Britain Beshears was 2-for-3 with a walk, smacking a grand slam for four RBI.
Hannah Hawley was 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI.
Payton Conroy had her first base hit of the season, a two-RBI single that started MSU's sixth-inning rally.
Autumn Behlke came in to pitch in the top of the third. She went five innings, surrendering four hits and walking two. She sent down the Cougars in order in the third, fourth, and sixth innings,
Freshman Zoie Bernard made her collegiate debut and walked in her first two plate appearances, scoring the first run of the game and recording a stolen base.
Sophomore Jacey Schuler drew the opening-day start in the circle, and went two innings. She issued three walks but came up with a huge strikeout with the bases loaded to escape two no-hit frames.
Sophia Grillo got her first hit as a Spartan in the top of the sixth.
Hannah Greer went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a team-high four assists in the field.

STATS AND STORYLINES

BYU threatened in the second when a one-out error allowed Bre Townsend to reach safely, followed by a pair of two-out walks to load the bases. Shuler came up with a huge strikeout to strand all three Cougar runners. She was replaced by Behlke to start the third inning.
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Bernard drew a walk and stole second to put herself In scoring position. Hawley picked up her first base hit (and RBI) of the year with a single through the left side to plate Bernard.
MSU doubled its lead in the top of the fifth when Hawley launched a solo homer to left to make it 2-0.
BYU got its first base hit in the bottom of the fifth. Danica Acosta reached on an error, and Lily Owens walked. Hailey Morrow broke up the no-hitter with a single up the middle to load the bases, and then Ilovea Brittingham singled up the middle to plate two runners. Maddie UdallWooley followed with a single down the right field line to bring home Morrow and give BYU its first lead at 3-2. Behlke hit the next batter to load the bases again, and Gianna Mares put a sac fly into left to score Brittingham for a 4-2 advantage at the end of the inning.
Greer led off the top of the sixth with a bloop single, and BYU made a pitching change. Kendall Smiley reached on an error, moving the runners to second and third. Payton Conroy singled to right center to bring both runners home to tie the game at 4-4 with none out. Caravaca reached on a one-out fielder's choice, but Conroy was safe at third. BYU intentionally walked Hawley to load the bases, bringing up Beshears – and she hit a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left center, making it an 8-4 game.
The teams combined for five errors in the game – three for the Cougars, two for MSU – and left a combined 17 runners. MSU stranded nine on the basepaths.