Michigan State University
Tenn Chattanooga
Spartan Softball Continues To Win At Speedline Invite
3/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 7, 2003
PLANT CITY, Fla. - The Michigan State softball team continued to mount up the victories at the Speedline Invitational in Plant City, Fla. The Spartans defeated Tennessee-Chattenooga in a thrilling 1-0 victory in eight innings, before silencing Maryland, 9-0, to close out the ballpark in the nightcap.
The Spartans opening game against Tennessee-Chattenooga saw seven and a half innings of scoreless play before MSU secured the game in the bottom of the eighth. With one out in the first extra inning, Sandy Lewis (Empire, Mich.) bunted the ball back to the UTC pitcher and Lacy Hauxhurst (Westminster, Calif.) crossed home plate to give the Spartans the win.
In the Spartans' match-up with Maryland, Michigan State got the scoring started early, amid continuous rain. Brittney Green (Simi Valley, Calif.) hit a fly ball out to left field, but Janette Hurtado (Rowland Heights, Calif.) scored on the advancing throw to put the Spartans on the scoreboard.
In the fourth inning, it was Elizabeth Peterson (Riverside, Calif.) who stole the show, blasting her first collegiate home run over the center field fence. Peterson's hit also drove home Tiffany Wallace (Wildomar, Calif.) to put the Spartans up by three.
MSU quickly silenced the Terps, with three more runs in each of the next two innings. Margaret Schick (Grass Lake, Mich.), Green and Natalie Furrow (San Diego, Calif.) each scored in the fifth, while Jessica Beech (Okemos, Mich.) crossed home plate on a single from Robyn Golden (Belleville, Mich.) in the sixth to bring the Spartans within one run of ending the game on the right-run rule. Needing just one run, Green hit a double to center field, sending both Schick and Hurtado home for the 9-0 Spartan win.
Beech picked up the eight inning win for the Spartans against Tennessee-Chattenooga, striking out eight batters and walking just four. Freshman Katie Joosten (Anaheim, Calif.) picked up the victory over Maryland.
The Spartans conclude scheduled play of the Speedline Invitational tomorrow (March 8). Michigan State takes on Florida Atlantic at 2 p.m., at the Larson Softball Four-Plex in Plant City, Fla.
