Michigan State University
East Carolina
Softball Captures Pirate Classic Crown
2/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 18, 2006
GREENVILLE, N.C. -
Michigan State v. East Carolina Box Score
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Michigan State softball continued action at a rainy Holiday Inn Express
Pirate classic Saturday, where the Green and White improved to 4-0 on the season with a 3-2 victory over Bucknell and a 1-0 win vs. host East Carolina to capture the tournament crown. Nikki Nicosia continued to shine at the plate, going 4-7 on the day, while pitchers Lesley Noel (1-0) and Rachel Turney (2-0) each captured from the mound.
Michigan State started the day facing Bucknell in the 11 a.m. match-up at D. H. Conley High School in Greenville. Green and White pitcher Lesley Noel started her first game of the 2006 campaign strong, allowing just two hits through the first two innings of play. Errors in the Spartan infield proved costly in the bottom of the third, when the Bison took the 2-0 advantage.
A Meghan Darhower single would start the top of the sixth inning for MSU, before Caitlin Mahoney would hit her first career homerun over the left-centerfield fence tying the contest at 2-2. Freshman Kara Weigle would tally her first hit of the contest on a line-drive double to center, before a sacrifice bunt from Nikki Nicosia would advance Weigle to third. An error by the Bison leftfielder on a Nicole Mercado pop-up would score Weigle, giving the Spartans the deciding 3-2 upperhand.
MSU tallied ten hits for the game compared to just six by the Bison offense. Noel took the win for MSU, while Nikki Nicosia, Traci Nicosia and Darhower each tallied two hits at the plate.
Playing ECU in a rain delayed 6 p.m. start, Spartan ace Rachel Turney took the mound facing an undefeated Pirate team. Both teams were quiet offensively, until the bottom of the fifth when an Elizabeth Peterson single started the inning for State. Darhower smashed an RBI-double scoring Peterson, as MSU took the 1-0 advantage.
ECU would try to regain momentum in the top of the sixth, however Turney would strikeout two of three Pirate batters, and force a groundout to end the late inning threat. Turney would strikeout the first two batters in the top of the seventh, before Mercado would make a running catch in foul territory to secure the Spartan win.
"I thought we played very well today, even better than yesterday," head coach Jacquie Joseph said. "We are very excited to get back on the field next week at the NFCA Classic."
State's Rachel Turney earned MVP honors for her 2-0 record at the Pirate Classic, while MSU took the tournament win in season-opening action.
Michigan State returns to action competing at the NFCA Leadoff Classic next week from Columbus, Ga. when it faces Georgia Feb. 24 at 12 p.m.
