Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Minnesota
Softball Blanks Minnesota, 1-0
4/14/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 14, 2001
MINNEAPOLIS - The Michigan State softball team shutout Minnesota, 1-0, Saturday night at J.S. Cowles Stadium on the UM campus. MSU improves to 17-28 (4-5 Big Ten) for the season, while the Gophers fall to 23-18-1 (2-9).
Jessica Beech (Fr., Okemos, Mich.) pitched 5 2/3 innings of five-hit ball to earn her sixth victory of the year (6-7). She retired the first 11 batters, not allowing a hit until the fourth inning.
Michigan State scored the game's only run in the first. Tiffany Wallace (So., Wildomar, Calif.) hit a two-out single to right field, bringing home Shealee Dunavan (Sr., Yorba Linda, Calif.) as she slid past Minnesota catcher Meghan Smith to beat the throw. Wallace finished the game 3-for-4 with an RBI.
The Spartans held off a Gopher rally in the fifth, as UM had three hits but failed to capitalize with the bases loaded. With one out and the bases full, shortstop Margaret Schick (So., Grass Lake, Mich.) gunned down Gopher runner Amy Hafemeyer at the plate to preserve the 1-0 lead. Beech got pinch hitter Angie Recknor to foul out at third base to end the inning.
Beech was relieved in the sixth inning with two outs after a Gopher double. Keri DeJong (Jr., Portage, Mich.) came on in relief and hit the first batter she faced, but struck out Hailee Nanchy for the third out. DeJong retired the Gophers in order in the seventh to get her first save of the season.
Michigan State returns to action tomorrow to face Minnesota in a single game at 1:00 CST at J.S. Cowles Stadium.
NOTES:
*MSU has won three of its last four games in Big Ten play.
Game One Summary R H EMSU 100 000 0- 1 6 1UM 000 000 0- 0 5 1
WP: Beech-MSU (6-7)LP: Marten-UM (15-10)SV: DeJong-MSU (1)
