Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Florida Atlantic (Florida Atlantic Tournament)
Spartan Softball Reaches FAU Tournament Championship Game
3/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 19, 2005
BOCA RATON, Fla. - McGrew (2-4) scattered six hits in her third complete game of the season and did not allow a run until the seventh, both of which were unearned. She struck out three and did not walk a hitter. Meanwhile, Nikki Nicosia tied an MSU record with three stolen bases against FAU. It was the eighth time that a Spartan has picked up three SBs in a single game and the first since Angel Merren accomplished the feat vs. Butler Feb. 21 last year.
Even though the game was played on FAU's home field, State was the designated home team in the tournament's last game of round-robin action. With the Owls up first, Jessica Sachs led off the contest with a bunt single on the first pitch from Christy McGrew. After a sacrifice moved the runner over to second, McGrew picked up a grounder to short and a fly out to center to get out of the jam.
MSU provided some offense in its half, taking an early 2-0 lead. With one out, Nikki Nicosia walked on a full count and promptly stole her first of three bases. Traci Nicosia then lined a ball that was destined for center field but pitcher Candice Freel snagged it for the second out. Continuing her impressive performance at the plate in recent games, Caitlin Mahoney dropped a single into right-center to drive home Nikki Nicosia for the game's first run. After Dayna Feenstra walked, Dana Rosenblatt smacked an RBI single to right field, scoring Mahoney. The Spartans ended up loading the bases but could not put any more first-inning runs on the board.
Michigan State exploded in the fourth, picking up two hits, a double steal and three Owl errors. Rosenblatt led off the wild inning with her second single of the game. Heidi Charon came in as a pinch-runner and after Amy Szawara struck out swinging, Janette Hurtado was hit by a pitch. A possible double play went the Spartans favor when Meghan Darhower hit a grounder to shortstop Danielle Arriaga who flipped to Melissa Moore at second. However, the ball slipped out of Moore's glove, allowing Charon to score and Hurtado to move to third.
With runners at the corners, Darhower and Hurtado successfully completed the double steal, boosting MSU's lead to 4-0. Two wild pitches helped Darhower score the fifth run. Sandwiched between the WPs, Victoria Morache walked to keep things going. She traveled to second when Nikki Nicosia reached on a fielding error and Traci Nicosia came through with a shot up the middle, bringing Morache home for the 6-0 advantage.
Florida Atlantic managed two runs in the seventh, but the game was already out of reach.
State will play an Aggie team Sunday that defeated the Spartans, 7-0, in the first game of the tournament.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H EFlorida Atlantic 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 6 3Michigan State 2 0 0 4 0 0 X 6 5 5Records: MSU 7-15-1, FAU 17-22W: Christy McGrew (2-4)L: Candice Freel (8-8)McGrew's Line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
