Michigan State University
Indiana
MSU Softball Falls To Indiana, 5-4
4/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 26, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State softball team let a 4-0 lead slip away and dropped a disappointing 5-4 decision vs. Indiana Saturday at Old College Field. Indiana, which was the home team due to Big Ten rules, broke a 4-4 tie with a game-winning home run in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory.
Michigan State (31-15 overall, 9-6 Big Ten) managed just five hits in the game, but still manged to build a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth after scoring four times in the top half of the inning. But Indiana (18-28, 1-13) scored had a pair of two-run home runs in the bottom of the fifth to even the score before going on to victory in the seventh.
Michigan State looked like it had control of the game after scoring four times in the fifth. Senior Margaret Schick (Grass Lake, Mich.) led off the scoreless game with a walk, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice. Indiana chose to intentionally walk the next two batters to load the bases with one out for senior Tiffany Wallace (Wildomar, Calif.). Wallace made Indiana pay by ripping a line drive down the rightfield line for a triple, scoring three runs. Pinch-runner Carrie Cousino (Okemos, Mich.) then scored on a wild pitch, giving MSU the four-run cushion.
Sophomore Stephanie Christner (Sigourney, Iowa) cruised through the first four innings, shutting out the Hoosiers on just two hits while walking none and striking out two. But Christner got into trouble in the bottom of the fifth, giving up a double and a two-run home run to Dawn Ramynke to start the inning.
Christner was replaced by junior Jessica Beech (Okemos, Mich.), but Beech surrendered a two-run shot to Stormy Hanson later in the inning to tie the score at 4-4.
Michigan State put the leadoff runner on base in both the sixth and seventh innings, and both times the runner moved to second with one out on a sacrifice. But in the sixth Beech grounded into a double play when junior Angel Merren (Wayland, Mich.), who had singled, tried to advance to third on the groundout, and in the seventh, consecutive groundouts ended the threat.
In the bottom of the seventh, Beech struck out the first batter, before Ashley Griffiths hit her first home run of the season over the leftfield wall to end the game and to drop Beech's record to 21-7 this season.
MSU left seven runners on base to just two for Indiana. Junior Natalie Furrow (San Diego, Calif.) doubled with two outs in the first inning to extend her hitting streak to nine games, but was stranded at second. Sophomore Janette Hurtado (Rowland Heights, Calif.) singled to lead off the second and fourth innings, but was stranded at third in the second inning and was caught stealing in the fourth.
Michigan State will continue its homestand when the Spartans host Purdue Sunday for a doubleheader beginning at noon.
