Michigan State University
Illinois
MSU Softball Splits With Illinois
3/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 30, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State softball team completed a successful start to the Big Ten season by splitting a pair of games against Illinois Sunday. The Spartans, who are now 21-9 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, won game one, 3-0. Illinois, which moved to 21-7 and 2-2 in the conference, won the second game, 2-0, in nine innings.
Freshman Elizabeth Peterson (Riverside, Calif.) and junior Jessica Beech (Okemos) were the stars for MSU for the second straight game, as Peterson drove in all three MSU runs with a pair of home runs while Beech pitched yet another shutout in the opener. Sophomore Stephanie Christner (Sigourney, Iowa) also performed well, shutting out Illinois for eight innings before surrendering a two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in game two.
In the opening game, Peterson got Michigan State started with two outs in the first inning, belting a long home run just inside the foul pole in left field.
Senior Sandy Lewis (Empire) singled with two outs in the third, bringing Peterson to the plate again. Peterson, who hit a grand slam in yesterday's game vs. Northwestern, ripped her fifth home run of the season over the center field wall to put MSU on top, 3-0.
That would prove to be more than enough for Beech, who ran her scoreless innings streak to 41.2 straight innings while hurling her eighth shutout to improve to 15-3. Beech allowed just four hits and three walks while striking out four batters.
Senior Tiffany Wallace (Wildomar, Calif.) had three of MSU's eight hits, including a double high off the center field fence.
In game two, the Spartans wasted a solid effort from Christner, who gave up six hits and no walks while striking out three. Christner got better as the game went along, at one point retiring 15 straight Illinois batters before a one-out hit in the ninth inning.
After Jenna Hall's one-out hit in the ninth for Illinois, Janna Sartini flew out to shallow centerfield, but Lewis' throw to first to try to double off the runner skipped into the Illinois dugout, moving the runner to third base with two outs. Erin Montgomery then ended the game with a blast to left field for her fifth home run of the season.
MSU's offense sputtered in game two, managing just five hits in nine innings. The Spartans were hindered by the loss of Peterson, who injured her right knee in the first inning while trying to beat out a double-play ground ball.
Wallace singled in her first two at bats in game two, giving her hits in five straight at bats.
Michigan State's best chance to score in game two came in the fifth when the Spartans had runners on second and third with two outs, but junior Brittney Green (Simi Valley, Calif.) grounded sharply back to the pitcher, who made the play to end the inning.
Michigan State will visit Eastern Michigan Wednesday, April 2, for a single game beginning at 4 p.m.
