Michigan State University Athletics
Softball Travels To Northwestern For Doubleheader
3/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 31, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State softball team travels to Evanston, Ill., to continue Big Ten Conference play. The Spartans face No. 8 Northwestern in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 1 at 3 p.m.
The Wildcats currently sit atop the Big Ten Conference with a 4-0 record in league games. Senior Tammy Williams leads the Big Ten in batting average (.488) and has started all 25 games for Northwestern. She has 28 runs, 40 hits, eight home runs and a team-leading seven doubles. Junior Lauren Delaney leads the pitching staff with a 2.14 ERA and was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on Monday. She has a 17-6 overall record and has recorded 196 strikeouts in 156.2 innings pitched.
LAST TIME OUT
MSU dropped a 13-3 decision to Illinois Saturday afternoon in a rain soaked game. The Spartans posted three hits in the game, highlighted by senior Kara Weigle's three-run home run with two outs in the fifth inning.
Weigle opened the game with a double to left field, just inside the foul pole, and advanced to third off a sacrifice bunt by freshman Lori Padilla. Illinois pitcher Monica Perry got out of the jam, retiring the next two batters to end the inning, stranding Weigle on third. Illinois built off the momentum, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning off a single by Katrina Ross.
Both teams went scoreless in the second and senior Megan Hair struck out one in the inning. The Illini put the game out of reach in the third inning, scoring eight runs on six hits, highlighted by a grandslam from Hollie Pinchback.
Freshman Rebecca Rogers replaced Hair in the fourth inning, facing two batters. Illinois added three more runs in the inning off a bases clearing triple by Jamie Adishian.
Sophomore Karen Fox drew a walk in the fifth with one out for the Spartans, and freshman Ali Grant reached first base by a walk. With two outs, Weigle blasted her third home run of the season to left field, just inside the foul pole. Padilla then reached on a walk, but Perry forced a pop up to end the game.
SENIOR LEADERS
All three Spartan seniors have been critical components of the MSU lineup. Gina Mondo, who starts at second base, leads the team in several categories, including batting average (.418), runs (23), and hits (38). Behind the plate is Kara Weigle, who has started all 29 games for MSU. She has a .383 batting average with a team-leading 11 doubles and 10 sacrifice hits. Megan Hair has appeared in 21 games for the Green and White, starting 14 games, and pitching two complete games. She leads the team in innings pitched (75.1), strikeouts (36) and saves with three.
Hair ranks fifth in the nation in saves, while Weigle is ranked seventh nationally with .4 sacrifice hits per game.
STOLEN BASE PROS
MSU is 34-for-38 in stolen base attempts this season, and Gina Mondo leads the team with nine. Kara Weigle has six, as does Lindsey Hansen.
SHARE THE WEALTH
The Spartans recorded 53 assists in the first five games of the season, added 49 at the FGCU Spring Break Invitational and had 12 in two games at the Magic City Classic. In the 11 games over spring break week, MSU posted 118 assists with Lindsey Hansen leading the way with 32. Hansen has a team-high 67 assists thus far, while Gina Mondo has 60 and Megan Hair has 36.
WEBGEMS
Sophomore Karen Fox and freshman Ali Grant lead the team in fielding percentage. Both have not committed an error so far this season. Grant has appeared in all 29 games, while Fox has played in 22 games. Freshman Brett Williams recently began play in the Spartan outfield and has yet to commit an error in 12 games.
TOUGH COMPETITION
MSU has faced four ranked opponents so far this season. The Spartans faced No. 13 DePaul at the FGCU Spring Break Invitational earlier this season, falling in both games. MSU played No. 15 North Carolina at the Tar Heel Invitational and the Coastal Carolina Tournament, dropping both games, while facing No. 14 Missouri at the Coastal Carolina Tournament, losing in extra innings. In the Big Ten, three teams are ranked. MSU faced one of the ranked conference teams to open Big Ten play, falling to No. 17 Ohio State in both games, and dropping a game at Illinois on Saturday. The Illini were also receiving votes in the poll at the time. The Spartans will take on Northwestern Wednesday, who is ranked 8th in this week's USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll.
STARTING LINE
Three Spartans have started all 29 games. Senior Kara Weigle has started behind the plate, sophomore Lindsey Hansen has played at shortstop and freshman Ali Grant splits time between third base and right field.
GOING YARD
The Spartans have notched 31 home runs through 29 games this season, with sophomore Lindsey Hansen leading the way with nine. Senior Gina Mondo has five and freshman Lauren Kramer has four, while senior Kara Weilge and freshman Ali Grant both have hit three.
Also, Mondo ranks fifth on MSU's all-time home runs list with 18 in her career, while Weigle recently reached the list with 12 thus far in her career. Hansen is just one home run shy of reaching MSU's all-time list. After hitting just one homer last season, she has nine this season, just one shy of reaching the list and tying for ninth.
HAIR'S KS
Senior pitcher Megan Hair recorded her 150th career strikeout on March 21 at Ohio State. Hair leads the team with 36 strikeouts this season and now has 158 in her career.
BIG TEN STATS
The Spartans rank second in the Big Ten in batting average and several players are ranked in various categories. Kara Weigle ranks first in doubles (11) and is second in sacrifice bunts (10), while Lidsey Hansen is tied for triples (3). Gina Mondo ranks third in the Big Ten in batting average (.418) and freshman Lauren Kramer is seventh (.397).
NEXT TIME FOR THE SPARTANS
Michigan State will take the weekend off before hosting Purdue for a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 8. First pitch is set to be thrown at 3 p.m.
