Michigan State University
Central Mich
MSU Softball Stops Central Michigan, 3-2
4/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 23, 2002
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Two Michigan State pitchers combined to allow only three hits and the Spartans rapped out 10 singles as MSU (24-29) snapped Central Michigan's (29-14) 10-game win streak with a 3-2 victory Tuesday afternoon. Becky Gray (Sr., Burr Oak/Burr Oak) and Jessica Beech (So., Okemos/Okemos) combined on the three-hitter for MSU, with Gray getting the victory to improve to 13-14 and Beech picking up her sixth save.
Angel Merren (So., Wayland/Wayland Union) drove in MSU's first run of the game in the top of the second inning, driving in Lacy Hauxhurst (Jr., Westminster, Calif./Westminster) who had reached on an error. Sandy Lewis (Jr., Empire/Glen Lake) made it 2-0 later in the inning when her groundout scored Lauren Pederson (Fr., Portage/Portage Northern).
An unusual play in the top of the fifth helped MSU increase its lead to 3-0. With two outs and runners on second and third, Central Michigan elected to intentionally walk Robyn Golden (Jr., Belleville/Belleville). But the fourth intentional ball sailed over the head of the CMU catcher, and Janette Hurtado (Fr., Rowland Heights, Calif./Diamond Bar) came home to score. On the play, Golden, who had run to first after the wild pitch, was called out for rounding first base while the ball was in the pitcher's circle, but the run still counted.
Gray retired the first 13 batters she faced before allowing a single in the bottom of the fifth inning. After a pair of two-out walks loaded the bases, Gray got out of the jam by striking out Natalie de la Vega.
Gray ran into further trouble with two outs in the sixth when the Chippewas got on the board with a solo home run by Michelle Brander, followed by a single from Jennifer Skuta. Beech came to relieve Gray and induced a fly ball to right, but Tiffany Wallace (Jr., Wildomar, Calif./Pacifica) misplayed the ball, allowing Skuta to score and narrowing MSU's lead to 3-2. Beech got the next batter on a come-backer to the mound, then retired the side in order in the seventh to earn the save.
Lewis, Merren and Margaret Shick (Jr., Grass Lake/Chelsea) had two hits each for MSU, which defeated Central Michigan earlier this season, 2-0.
Gray finished with six strikeouts while allowing only three hits and two walks in five and two-thirds innings for MSU. Gray is now just 21 strikeouts shy of Stacey Smith's record of 408 career strikeouts.
Michigan State 3, Central Michigan 2MSU 020 010 0 - 3 10 1CMU 000 002 0 - 2 3 4Gray, Beech (6) and Hauxhurst, Rasmussen, Puchalski (5) and Brander. W - Gray (13-14),L - Rasmussen (11-5), S - Beech (6). HR - Brander (3).
