Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Wisconsin
Softball Splits With No. 21 Wisconsin
4/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 13, 2001
MADISON, Wis. - Michigan State (16-28, 3-5 Big Ten) split a doubleheader with No. 21 Wisconsin (24-16, 6-4) Friday afternoon at the Goodman Softball Complex. UW took game one, 1-0, while the Spartans reversed the score to win game two. The game two win marked the first time MSU has defeated a ranked opponent since May 22, 1999 when it beat No. 18 Oregon in the NCAA regionals.
Becky Gray (Jr., Burr Oak, Mich.) threw a four-hit complete game shutout in game two. The shutout is Gray's 11th of her career, which now ties her for sixth-place all-time at MSU, and ups her season record to 7-12.
MSU scored the game's only run in the second when pinch runner Sandy Lewis (So., Empire, Mich.) scored on a Badger wild pitch to put the Spartans up 1-0.
The Spartans held off a Wisconsin rally in the fourth to maintain the one-run lead. With one out, the Badgers loaded the bases with a walk and two singles, but Gray got the next two UW batters to pop up, halting the rally.
After the fourth, only two more Badgers would reach base. Gray finished the game with seven strikeouts.
Wisconsin starter Jennifer Cummings (8-7) only allowed one Spartan hit, but took the loss for the Badgers. Cummings struck out four in six innings of work. Angel Merren (Fr., Wayland, Mich.) got the lone Spartan hit in the fifth.
In game one, Wisconsin starting pitcher Andrea Kirchberg (16-9) limited the Spartans to just three hits for her eighth shutout of the year.
The Badgers got their only run in the second on a single by Anna Jones that advanced Lindsay Barth to third. After an error on Spartan rightfielder Tiffany Wallace (So., Wildomar, Calif.) on the same play, Barth crossed the plate for the 1-0 UW lead.
Michigan State put two runners on in the seventh, but couldn't muster a run as Kirchberg struck out the side to end the game. Kirchberg finished the game with eight strikeouts.
Keri DeJong (Jr., Portage, Mich.) took the loss for MSU. DeJong (4-5) threw a six-inning complete game, allowing one unearned run on seven hits and two strikeouts.
Michigan State will face Minnesota in a single game tomorrow (April 14) at 6:00 p.m. CST in Minneapolis. MSU and UM play also play a single game on Sunday, April 15 at 1:00 p.m. CST.
NOTES:
*With her two strikeouts in game one, Keri DeJong became just the seventh player in MSU history to have at least 200 career strikeouts.
*Becky Gray moved into sixth place all-time at MSU in strikeouts with 204.
*Shealee Dunavan played her 213th and 214th games today, which is good for seventh place all-time at MSU.
*Dunavan's two sacrifices today moved her into a fourth place tie with Stephanie Noffsinger for most sacrifices at MSU.
Game One Summary R H EMSU 000 000 0- 0 3 2UW 010 000 x- 1 7 1
WP: KIrchberg-UW (16-9)LP: DeJong-MSU (4-5)
Game Two Summary R H EUW 000 000 0- 0 4 1MSU 010 000 x- 1 1 1
WP: Gray-MSU (7-12)LP: Cummings-UW (8-7)
