Hawley's Sac Fly Walks Off Terps, 4-3

Friday, April 24

East Lansing, Mich.

3 PM

Michigan State University

17-29, 0

Maryland

17-29, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Maryland	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	3	13	0
Michigan State	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	4	6	1

4/24/2026 9:42:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State softball won a thrilling extra- inning game against Maryland on Friday night, as Hannah Hawley brought home the winning run on a sac fly with one out in the bottom of the ninth to secure a 4-3 victory. Michigan State improves to 17-29 (3-15 B1G), while Maryland falls to 17-29 (3-19 B1G) on the season.

The Terrapins plated two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 3-3. The visitors threatened again with a pair of base hits in the top of the ninth but Carsyn Cassady came on in relief to retire the next two batters and leave two on base.

In the home half of the ninth, Zoie Bernard and Kirsten Caravaca each drew walks, and advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Sydney Doloszycki. Hawley sent a sac fly to deep left, scoring Bernard for the walkoff victory.

The game, originally scheduled for a 5 pm start but was moved to 3 pm in hopes of getting the game in prior to the rain. Mother nature had other plans, delaying the game with lightning and a steady rain that delayed the start of the game to 5:40 pm.

Jacey Schuler got the start and went six complete innings, allowing just one run and walking one while striking out two Terrapin batters. Autumn Behlke threw 2.1 innings in relief, and Cassady earned her fifth win of the season, keeping the game knotted by stranding two Terrapins in scoring position in the top of the ninth.

Keira Bucher was tabbed with the loss for Maryland, her ninth of the season. Sammi Woods and Anna McGowan each had three hits for the Terps, who rattled off 13 base hits on the day.

The teams meet in the second of three games on Saturday afternoon at 1 pm. MSU will be celebrating its alumni day, with a special recognition for the 50^th anniversary of the 1976 AIAW National Championship team.

NOTABLES

Friday evening's win was the first extra-inning contest in 2026 for the Green & White.
The Spartans turned their 19^th double play of the season, which ties for fourth place in the Spartan record book.
Hannah Hawley's fourth inning double was her eighth double of the season and her seventh hit in the last ten games. She finished 1-for-2 with a double, two walks, and the walkoff RBI on a sac fly.
Kendall Smiley's sixth-inning single extended her current hitting streak to five games, and was her 12^th base hit of her last sixteen games.
Natalia Kenyatta's base hit in the eighth inning stretches her current hitting streak to five games. She also has six base hits in her last eight games.
Britain Beshears went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double, and two RBI. It was her third home run of the week after smashing a pair on Tuesday vs Western Michigan.
Kirsten Caravaca has recorded walks in four out of her last five contests, reaching base safely in five out of last seven games. She had a pair of walks in Friday's game.
Zoie Bernard tallied her team-leading eighth stolen base of the season. She also drew her team-best 28^th walk of the year and scored the game-winning run after drawing that free pass in the ninth.

Scoring Summaries

In the bottom of the second, Beshears launched her third home run of the week into the score board in left field, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead entering the third. MSU would get multiple two-out base runners in the form of Zoie Bernard and Kirsten Caravaca in the bottom of the third, but a line drive from Sydney Doloszycki back to the pitcher would end the inning.

The Terrapins responded in the top of the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly from Caroline Fox before Schuler tallied an infield popout ending the inning and stranding Maryland's Anna McGowan at second base, keeping the score knotted at one. In the bottom of the frame, MSU answered quickly with a double from Hawley, who came around to score on an RBI single from Beshears. The Spartans loaded the bases with a pair of walks to Natalia Kenyatta and pinch hitter Lyndsey Hooker, but the Terrapins got Bernard to pop out to end the inning.

Michigan State added what it thought would be an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Payton Conroy singled to bring home Kendall Smiley, who had reached on a single earlier in the inning for Conroy's sixteenth RBI of the season and a 3-1 lead.

Maryland loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with one out. Zada Rocke reached on a fielder's choice when she sent a ground ball to short for Conroy, who went home with the throw to record the force out and the second out of the inning. Anna McGowan delivered a two-RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.

In the top of the ninth, Maryland put a pair of runners in scoring position at second and third base on a single by Mariah Penta and a double from Matti Benson. Carsyn Cassady entered the circle in relief, got a pop out in foul territory followed by McGowan popping out to Beshears at first to strand both. MSU got the sac fly from Hawley to end the game with one out in the bottom of the ninth.