Michigan State University
Western Kentucky (Buzz Classic)
MSU Softball Drops Two Games At Buzz Classic
3/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 23, 2002
ATLANTA, Ga. - The Michigan State softball team dropped a pair of games at the Buzz Classic hosted by Georgia Tech today, falling 10-1 in five innings to Western Kentucky and 9-4 to North Carolina. The Spartans (10-18) finished the tournament with a 1-3 record and did not qualify for the championship bracket contested tonight and tomorrow, but MSU did add a non-tournament game against Appalachian State Sunday at 11 a.m.
In the opening game, the Spartans were victimized for 10 runs on nine hits by Western Kentucky, and MSU pitchers also allowed five walks. Jessica Beech (Okemos/Okemos) gave up five runs over the first two innings to fall to 3-5 this season. A bright spot was freshman Jennifer Diesing (Chelsea/Chelsea), who pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings of relief.
MSU scored its lone run in the bottom of the first inning after falling into a 3-0 hole. Margaret Schick (Jr., Grass Lake/Chelsea) led off with a single, and two outs later, scored on an RBI single from Robyn Golden (Belleville/Belleville).
In the second contest of the day, MSU built a 2-0 lead, and later held a 4-3 lead in the sixth before North Carolina exploded for four runs with two outs in the top of the sixth, blasting three home runs during the frame.
Sandy Lewis (Jr., Empire/Glen Lake) blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to give MSU a 1-0 lead against the Tar Heels. In the third, the Spartans scored without the benefit of a hit thanks to a hit batter, a walk and two wild pitches. Pinch-runner Carrie Cousino (Okemos/Okemos) scored on the final wild pitch to put MSU ahead 2-0.
A three-run homer gave North Carolina a 3-2 lead in the fourth, but the Spartans tied it up when Lewis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. A solo shot from Golden, her third dinger of the tournament and seventh of the season, put MSU in the lead, 4-3, in the fifth inning.
Becky Gray (Sr., Burr Oak/Burr Oak) allowed five runs, four earned, in 5.2 innings to suffer the loss, slipping to 5-8 this season.
Lewis set a dubious school record by getting beaned three times following her home run, twice on the helmet. The Spartans left 10 runners on base, while UNC only left three.
Game Summaries:
Game One Summary R H EWKU 323 20 - 10 9 3MSU 100 00 - 1 3 0
WP: Silver-Western Kentucky (9-4)LP: Beech-MSU (3-5)
Game Two Summary R H EUNC 000 304 2- 9 10 2MSU 101 110 0- 4 5 2
WP: Ennis-UNCLP: Gray-MSU (5-8)
