Spartans Blast Oregon, 9-1

Date: May 22, 1999

Site: Flames Field - Chicago, IL - NCAA Regionals

Result: Michigan State 9, Oregon 1

Records: MSU 41-22; Oregon 40-29

Next MSU Game: vs. DePaul, Sunday, May 23 - 1 p.m. CDT

Chicago, Ill. - The Michigan State softball team dominated 19th-ranked Oregon, 9-1 in six innings, today in NCAA Regional action in Chicago, Ill. With the victory, the Spartans move on to face DePaul for the chance to advance to the College World Series. MSU improved to 41-22 overall, while the fourth-seeded Ducks end the year with a 40-29 mark. The Spartans and Blue Demons will meet at 1 p.m., on Sunday at Flames Field. MSU needs to defeat DePaul twice to earn its first-ever trip to the College World Series.

The Spartans scored six runs in the first two innings, more than enough support for junior pitcher Erica Strutz (Howell, Mich.), who was spectacular on the mound.

Strutz scattered four hits in the complete-game effort to improve to 27-13 on the season. The Ducks tallied their only run of the game in the sixth inning when Triawn Custer hit a solo home run to right center field. Strutz walked just two in the contest and had three strikeouts.

The Spartans got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore Shealee Dunavan (Yorba Linda, Calif.) led off the inning with a bunt single and later scored on a double steal from third base. Junior Stacey Phillips (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) scored MSU's second run of the inning on an error by Oregon.

MSU broke the game open in the second inning when Dunavan hit a bases loaded triple to right field to bring home three more runs. Junior Carrie Fry (Cerritos, Calif.) made it 6-0 when she doubled home Dunavan.

Senior Molly Hugan (Holly, Mich.) hit her fourth home run of the year in the fifth inning to put MSU ahead, 7-0, while a pair of RBI singles by Fry and freshman Tiffany Thomas (Ontario, Calif.) in the sixth inning ended the contest.

Fry was 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Dunavan was 2-for-4 with three RBI and scored two runs. Junior Margaret Hollis (Anaheim, Calif.) also collected two hits for the Spartans, who had 11 as a team.

QUOTES

MSU Coach Jacquie Joseph

"Obviously, I'm very pleased with the outcome. We felt we had a good plan coming in and it would take nothing less than a brilliant pitching performance on our part. When you face a team with the offensive capabilities of a squad like Oregon, we knew that we were going to have to pitch very, very well."

"I think Erica Strutz set the pace in the very first inning by executing our game plan, which was to throw the change up over the plate for strikes and get ahead of the hitters."

"With that, we knew we were going to have to play good defense and I thought we did that. I thought it was going to be more of a slugfest. To watch our team come out and execute our offense the way we did, was so exciting."

"I'm very happy for them because they really demonstrated to themselves what they can do if they are 100 percent focused."

OTHER GAME RESULT

DePaul 4, UIC 0

UIC 4, Texas 1

DePaul 4, UIC 1

SUNDAY'S SCHEDULE

(5) Michigan State vs. (2) DePaul - 1 p.m. (CDT)

If MSU wins, 2nd game begins 35 minutes following 1 p.m., contest

For more information, contact: Lori Schulze, 517/355-2271