Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Florida State (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
Softball Suffers Two Defeats Against Ranked Teams In Georgia
2/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 25, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ga. - In arguably one of the toughest tournaments in college softball, Michigan State fell to No. 21 Florida State, 4-1, and No. 13 Oklahoma, 8-0, Friday, Feb. 25, at the 2005 NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. The Spartans moved to 1-5 on the year as four of those games have been against opponents ranked in the top 25.
In the first contest against the Seminoles, FSU (9-5) picked up 13 hits off Spartan pitching and 12 of them were singles. Nicole Mercado went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
Florida State jumped on the Spartans early in the first inning. After retiring the leadoff hitter, MSU starter Rachel Turney gave up six consecutive hits for two FSU runs. Five of those hits, however, were either infield singles or grounders between first and second. The Green and White put two runners on first and second in the third but with two outs, Elizabeth Peterson hit a shot to third baseman Lesley Palmer where it was bobbled and picked up by the shortstop who tagged out Nikki Nicosia. The play was argued by head coach Jacquie Joseph because Nicosia collided with Palmer, but to no avail the call stood. Florida State came right back in the bottom half with a run off three more singles.
Freshman pitcher Lesley Noel got her first taste of collegiate action when she relieved Turney in the fourth. After giving up a single through the right side, Noel picked up the next three outs to keep the score at 3-0. MSU then came up to the plate in the fifth and Mercado blasted a one-out double to left field. Advancing to third on a groundout by Nicosia, Mercado came around to score when a dribbler to second baseman Veronica Wootsen off the bat of Dayna Feenstra was mishandled. However, the Seminoles retaliated with a run of their own in the bottom half, notching two more singles and scoring off a wild pitch to claim a 4-1 lead. FSU never let the Spartans score again and the No. 21 Seminoles walked away with the win.
Michigan State had a tougher task in the second game as it battled No. 13 Oklahoma (12-4). Freshman Abby Lincoln made her first start of the year and pitched herself into a jam in the first. After walking two batters with one out, the Spartan defense got her out of it, recording a fielder's choice for the second out and a terrific defensive play by second baseman Janette Hurtado retired the side. The Sooners did get on the board, though, in the second as they loaded the bases with two down. Stacia Aleman ripped a single to center to score one but a perfect throw from Mercado to catcher Amy Szawara helped the Spartans record the third out as Kami Keiter attempted to touch home.
Oklahoma then took a 5-0 advantage in the third by connecting for five hits and two walks. A solo home run by Heather Scaglione in the fourth off Noel, who came on to start the inning for Lincoln, increased the OU lead to 6-0. Taylor Hollis' two-run shot in the fifth made it an eight-run game. MSU failed to answer in the bottom of the fifth and since the Sooners had an eight-run lead, the game was called after five.
The Spartans wrap up pool play at the invitational Saturday, Feb. 26, when it faces Lehigh at 12:30 p.m. They will then be assigned to a bracket based on their three-game record and play one more game following their meeting with the Mountain Hawks.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H EMichigan State 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 0Florida State 2 0 1 0 1 0 X 4 13 3Records: MSU 1-4, FSU 9-5W: Rachel Turney (1-3)L: Kristy Villasenor (4-4)
1 2 3 4 5 R H EOklahoma 0 1 4 1 2 8 9 1Michigan State 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1Records: MSU 1-5, OU 12-4W: Cami Keiter (5-1)L: Abby Lincoln (0-1)
