Michigan State University
East Carolina
Softball Opens Season With Two Victories At Triangle Classic
2/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 14, 2003
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Michigan State softball team opened the 2003 season with a pair of victories over East Carolina and Temple at the UNC Triangle Classic on Friday, Feb. 14, in Chapel Hill, N.C. Junior Jessica Beech (Okemos, Mich.) pitched a complete-game no-hitter in the season opener - just two walks shy of a perfect game - as the Spartans topped East Carolina, 1-0. The Spartans continued their winning ways with a 5-3 victory over Temple in an eight-inning affair.
Beech threw seven innings of scoreless softball, striking out eight batters, in the Spartans' 1-0 win over ECU. Michigan State received its run from senior Lacy Hauxhurst (Westminster, Calif.). Hauxhurst singled in the sixth, advancing to second on a single by senior Tiffany Wallace (Wildomar,Calif.). Advancing to third on the resulting throw, Hauxhurst scored as East Carolina's pitcher walked sophomore Janette Hurtado (Rowland Heights, Calif.).
The Spartans had eight batters tally a hit, as the Spartans earned their first season-opening win since 1999.
In the second game of the day, the Spartans picked up a 5-3 victory in eight innings over Temple. The Owls got on the board first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, but MSU pulled it within one in the fourth as Natalie Furrow (San Diego, Calif.) scored.
Michigan State evened up the score in the seventh when Carrie Cousino (Okemos, Mich.) scored. In the extra inning, MSU drove in three runs, as Beech, Brittney Green (Simi Valley, Calif.) and Hauxhurst scored. Sophomore Stephanie Christner (Sigourney, Iowa) pitched 6.1 innings of the second game, while Beech was on the mound for the remaining innings.
The Spartans return to action tomorrow (Feb. 15) for a 9 a.m. game against Radford at the UNC-Triangle Classic. Bracket play begins following the morning session, with MSU either playing at 4 or 6 p.m.
