Michigan State University
Penn St
MSU Softball Downed By Penn State, 6-5
4/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 18, 2003
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Leading 5-1 in the second inning with Jessica Beech (Okemos, Mich.) on the mound usual signals victory for the Michigan State softball team, but the Spartans blew several opportunities to score and Penn State rallied against MSU's junior ace for a 6-5 victory Friday night. The loss dropped MSU's record to 27-12 and 6-4 in the Big Ten, while Penn State improved to 23-15 and 5-4 in the league.
MSU banged out 12 hits, including four for extra bases, but left 12 runners on base, including five at third base, and had a runner thrown out at home. The Spartans left the bases loaded in the sixth and had the tying run in scoring position again in the seventh with one out, but did not convert.
Beech had perhaps her worst outing of the season, allowing a season-high six runs, five of which were earned. She gave up 10 hits to the Nittany Lions, who entered the game hitting just .138 in Big Ten contests. Beech, who fell to 20-5, struck out six and did not walk a batter.
MSU jumped on top early, scoring two runs with two outs in the first inning. Freshman Elizabeth Peterson (Anaheim, Calif.), in her first at bat since spraining her right knee March 30, crushed a 2-2 pitch over the centerfield fence, but she appeared to re-injure her knee on the swing, hobbling slowly around the bases. After a hit batter and an infield single by junior Natalie Furrow (San Diego, Calif.), junior Brittney Green (Simi Valley, Calif.) singled up the middle to put MSU on top, 2-0.
Penn State countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the first, but MSU answered right back with three more in the second, and again, all runs scored with two outs. A Beech single put runners on first and second for Peterson, who hit another long blast to center. This one went off the wall, scoring both runners as Peterson limped to first base with a long single. Senior Tiffany Wallace (Wildomar, Calif.) followed with a single, and Furrow ripped a double to into the gap in right-center to put MSU on top, 5-1.
Penn State chipped away against Beech, scoring twice in the second, once in the fourth and again in the fifth to even the score at 5-5. MSU could have padded its lead in the top of the fifth when Furrow led off with a double, and pinch-runner Carrie Cousino (Okemos, Mich.) advanced to third on a sacrifice by Green. Sophomore Janette Hurtado (Rowland Heights, Calif.), blooped a single into shallow centerfield, but Cousino, who was tagging up on the play, was thrown out at home. An error helped put Spartans at second and third with two outs, but senior Margaret Schick (Grass Lake, Mich.) popped up to end the inning.
MSU had a chance to take the lead in the top of the sixth after senior Sandy Lewis (Empire, Mich.) led off with a double and one out later Peterson was intentionally walked. Wallace then singled to center but Lewis was held at third, loading the bases with one out. But Furrow grounded to the PSU second baseman, who threw home to force out Lewis, and Green grounded to third to end the threat.
Penn State pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth when with a runner at third and two outs, Mandy Nuxoll's drive to left center fell just out of the reach of a diving Angel Merren (Wayland, Mich.), giving the Nittany Lions a 6-5 lead.
In the top of the seventh, senior Lacy Hauxhurst (Westminster, Calif.) hit a ball to the hole that the Penn State shortstop threw into the MSU dugout, putting Hauxhurst at second with one out. After Schick sacrificed Hauxhurst to third and Lewis walked, Beech hit a ball to the hole at short and was thrown out by mere inches, ending the ballgame.
Furrow finished the game 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, while Wallace and Peterson had two hits each.
Michigan State and Penn State will meet again tomorrow (Saturday) beginning at noon.
