Michigan State University
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Western Mich
Softball Defeats Western Michigan For Fourth Straight Win
3/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 4, 2002
PLANT CITY, Fla. - The Michigan State softball team (6-7) scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat Western Michigan, 4-2, Monday afternoon (March 4) at Plant City Stadium. Head coach Jacquie Joseph recorded her 259th win at Michigan State, which ties her for the most wins in school history along with Gloria Becksford. The Spartans have now won four straight games, including six of their last nine.
Down 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, MSU scored three runs, all with two outs, to take the lead for the first time in the game. With runners on second and third, Jessica Beech (So., Okemos/Okemos) lined a two-strike pitch to center field, plating pinch-runner Amanda Melton (Sr., Saugus, Calif./Saugus) to tie the game at 2-2. Beech then stole second base, putting two runners in scoring position for the Spartans. The next batter, Janette Hurtado (Fr., Rowland Height, Calif./Diamond Bar), popped a shallow fly ball to Bronco center fielder Heather Frederick, who ran in but dropped the ball, allowing two runs to score for MSU.
Spartan starting pitcher Becky Gray (Sr., Burr Oak/Burr Oak) held off the Broncos in the seventh to preserve the win. Gray (3-4) threw her sixth complete game of the season, allowing eight hits and two runs on five strikeouts.
The Spartans tied the game at one in the third on a Margaret Schick (Jr., Grass Lake/Chelsea) RBI single that scored Lauren Pedersen (Fr., Portage/Central).
Western took an early 1-0 lead in the first on a Angie Fiero leadoff homer. The Broncos recaptured the lead with a run in the fourth, but didn't advance a runner past second base the final three frames.
MSU returns to action tomorrow (Tuesday, March 5) to face Central Michigan at 11 a.m. and Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. at Plant City Stadium.
Game Summary R H EWMU 100 100 0- 2 8 1MSU 001 003 x- 4 5 0
WP: Gray-MSU (3-4)LP: Cannon-WMU
Spartan Notebook:
* Jacquie Joseph recorded her 259th win at MSU today, which ties Gloria Becksford for the most wins in MSU history. She also collected her 395th career victory and needs only five more to reach the 400-win plateau.
* Natalie Furrow and Margaret Schick each extended their hitting streaks to four games.
* Becky Gray threw her 35th career complete game today, which is good for ninth best in MSU history.
