Michigan State University
Iupu Ft Wayne
Spartan Softball Takes Two From IUPU-Ft. Wayne
4/6/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 6, 2002
FT. WAYNE, Ind. - Pitching was the word of the day for the Michigan State softball team, as four pitchers combined to allow no runs and two hits in MSU's sweep of IUPU-Ft. Wayne Saturday afternoon (April 6). Becky Gray (Sr., Burr Oak/Burr Oak) and Jessica Beech (So., Okemos/Okemos) teamed up to throw the first perfect game in MSU history for a 2-0 victory in game one, while Keri DeJong (Sr., Portage/Kalamazoo Christian) and Jennifer Diesing (Fr., Chelsea/Chelsea) scattered two hits in game two's 17-0 shutout win. MSU now improves to 16-21 on the season and extends its winning streak to five games, while IPFW falls to 1-16.
Gray (7-10) started the first four innings of the perfect game, striking out seven of the 12 batters she faced. Beech came in relief in the fifth and picked her third save of the year by tossing three innings of perfect ball. While the perfect game made history, it also marked the 14th no-hitter all-time at MSU.
MSU got on the board early, taking a quick 1-0 lead on a Robyn Golden (So., Belleville/Belleville) single in the first. The Spartans added an insurance run in the fourth as a Sandy Lewis (Jr., Empire/Glen Lake) sacrifice fly brought home Angel Merren (So., Wayland/Union).
In game two, MSU used a 10-run outburst in the sixth en route to scoring 17 runs on 19 hits for the game, both of which set new single-game highs for the Spartans this season. Natalie Furrow (So., San Diego, Calif./Mills E. Godwin) led the offensive charge as she went 3-for-3 with five RBI. Margaret Schick (Jr., Grass Lake/Chelsea) also collected three hits and scored four runs. Overall, seven Spartans had at least two hits in the game.
MSU had a 2-0 lead going into the fourth before unleashing for 15 runs in the final three frames. In the fourth, Lacy Hauxhurst (Jr., Westminster, Calif./Westminster) and Merren each had RBI singles and Lewis blasted her second homer of the year. In the 10-run sixth, the first eight Spartans that went to the plate scored. Carrie Cousino (Fr., Okemos/Okemos), Tiffany Wallace (Jr., Wildomar, Calif./Pacifica), Hauxhurst, Golden and Furrow all knocked in runs for MSU in the inning.
MSU starting pitcher Keri DeJong surrendered only one hit while striking out three in five innings of work to earn her third win of the season (3-5). Jennifer Diesing came in the sixth to get the final three outs of the game.
Michigan State returns to action tomorrow (Sunday, April 7) to face Indiana in a doubleheader beginning at noon.
Game Summaries:
Game One Summary R H EMSU 100 100 0- 2 4 0IPFW 000 000 0- 0 0 1
WP: Gray-MSU (7-10)LP: Pomeroy-IPFW (1-10)SV: Beech (3)
Game Two Summary R H EMSU 101 50(10)- 17 19 0IPFW 000 000- 0 2 2
WP: DeJong-MSU (3-5)LP: Mason-IPFW (0-5)
Spartan Notebook:
? Becky Gray struck out seven batters today to total 346 for her career, which stands second place all-time at Michigan State. Stacey Smith is the all-time leader with 408 strikeouts. Gray's 114 strikeouts this year are already good for seventh-best in an MSU season.
? Margaret Schick stole two bases this afternoon, which gives her 19 for the season and 45 for her career. Her 45 stolen bases are third in MSU history, and she is only 15 back from the all-time mark of 60. The 19 stolen bases ties her for third-best in a MSU season.
? Natalie Furrow had five RBI in MSU's game two win, which has been only done seven other times in school history. Amanda Melton (Sr., Saugus, Calif./Saugus) owns the single-game mark with six RBI, which she did against Iowa May 8, 1999.
? MSU's last no-hitter came Feb. 18, 2000. Keri DeJong struck out five in a 10-0 win over Eastern Illinois.
? MSU's current five-game winning streak is tied for the longest of the season. The Spartans also won five games in a row from March 2-5.
