Michigan State University
Northwestern
Spartan Softball Falls Twice At Northwestern
4/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 21, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern swept a doubleheader from the Michigan State softball team Sunday afternoon (April 21) at Sharon J. Drysdale Field on the NU campus. Northwestern won the first game, 8-0 in five innings, and took game two, 7-3. MSU falls to 23-29 overall (4-10 Big Ten), while the Wildcats improve to 21-14-1 (9-5 Big Ten).
In the opening game, Northwestern scored three runs in the first inning, taking an early 3-0 lead while knocking out MSU starting pitcher Becky Gray (Sr., Burr Oak/Burr Oak). Gretchen Barnes led the Wildcats in the inning with a three-run homer over the left-field fence. Barnes finished the game 3-for-3 with five RBI.
Brittney Green (So., Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley) led off the second with a triple and MSU later loaded the bases on consecutive walks, but a Spartan strikeout ended the inning and the scoring threat.
The Wildcats scored two runs in the second and two in the fourth to extend their lead to 7-0 after four innings. In the fifth, Northwestern scored its eighth and final run, winning the game 8-0 in five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.
In game two, NU again took an early lead, scoring two runs in the first two frames. The Wildcats added a third run in the fourth on an Erin Mobley RBI single.
The Spartans tied the game at 3-3 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Robyn Golden (Jr., Belleville/Belleville) had an RBI pinch-hit double to plate Kim Strauch (Fr., Durand/Corunna) for MSU's first run. Later in the inning with two outs and the bases loaded, Natalie Furrow (So., San Diego, Calif./Mills E. Godwin) nailed a double to right field, scoring Golden and Sandy Lewis (Jr., Empire/Glen Lake) to tie the game.
The game didn't remain tied for long, however, as Northwestern rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh to take a commanding 7-3 lead. Carrie Leto keyed the rally for NU with a three-run homer off MSU reliever Jessica Beech (So., Okemos/Okemos). In the Spartan seventh, MSU went down in order to end the game.
Gray (12-14) threw six innings in the loss, scattering seven hits on five runs with four strikeouts. Beech relieved Gray with no outs in the seventh, but Gray allowed the winning run to score.
Michigan State returns to action Tuesday, April 23 to face Central Michigan in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., in a single game beginning at 4 p.m.
GAME SUMMARIES
Game One Summary R H EMSU 000 00- 0 3 0NU 330 21- 8 13 1
WP: Schwendimann-NU (14-4)LP: Gray-MSU (12-13)
Game Two Summary R H ENU 110 010 4- 7 8 0MSU 000 003 0- 3 6 0
WP: Brown-NU (7-10)LP: Gray-MSU (12-14)
