Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Head To Iowa For Doubleheader
4/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 17, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State softball team hits the road for the first time in 16 days as they travel to Iowa City, Iowa, for a doubleheader with 23rd-ranked Iowa, starting at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday. Originally scheduled as single games on Saturday and Sunday, the teams have decided to play a doubleheader due to impending weather for the Iowa City area on Sunday.
Iowa is coming off a sweep by No. 10 Northwestern, losing 6-5 in nine innings in the first game and falling 16-5 in five innings in the nightcap. Senior Colleen McGlaughlin tied the first game in the sixth with a home run to center field, while senior Brittany Weil started the game in the circle for Iowa, striking out six. Junior Katie Brown batted in two runs for the Hawkeyes in the second game and classmate Amanda Zust notched three strikeouts.
Senior Rachel West is batting a team-best .421 through 19 at-bats, while McGlaughlin is hitting .350 after playing in all 44 games. McGlaughlin leads the team with 48 hits, 10 doubles, 41 RBIs and 78 total bases. Weil has a 17-7 record with a 1.16 ERA while Zust holds a 1.54 ERA and a 16-4 record. In 174 1-3 innings, Zeil has struck out 246 batters.
LAST TIME OUT
MSU rallied from a 5-0 deficit to defeat Central Michigan, 7-6, Wednesday afternoon at Old College Field. Junior Kelly Confer hit a two-run single in the eighth inning for the win, marking the largest deficit the Spartans have overcome this season to win. Sophomore Lindsey Hansen led MSU at the plate, going 3-for-4. Confer, senior Kara Weigle and freshman Brett Williams all notched two RBIs, and it marked the second straight game Williams has posted two RBIs.
Central Michigan opened the game with a run in the first off a double to center field by Jill Schultz. The Chippewas added to their lead in the second with a two-run home run from Molly Coldren, and two more runs in the fourth put Central Michigan up 5-0. Senior Megan Hair relieved starting pitcher Lauren Kramer in the third, and held Central Michigan scoreless through the remainder of the game.
The Spartan rally in the sixth began with Confer drawing a walk. Kramer then singled to shallow left and a ground out advanced both runners. Williams came through with a single up the middle, scoring two runs for the second straight game. MSU continued with a single from freshman Melanie Bensema, and a hit by pitch loaded the bases. Weigle hit a single up the middle, just past second base, to score two more runs, making it 5-4. The hits continued with Hansen hitting a single through the left side, scoring the game-tying run.
The Chippewas scored one run on one hit to open the eighth inning, putting the pressure on the Spartans. Weigle answered, opening the eighth with a single to center field and Hansen continued MSU's rally after hitting a hard ball that careened off Coldren's glove at third base and sent the ball into center field. With no outs, Confer posted a single to center, scoring Weigle and Hansen for the win.
Kramer pitched 3 2-3 innings and struck out five, while Hair pitched the remaining 4 1-3 innings, giving up just two hits and striking out two batters.
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 and hits with 38 and has a .396 batting average. Behind the plate is Kara Weigle, who has started all 36 games for MSU. She has a .356 batting average with a team-leading 11 doubles and 10 sacrifice hits. Megan Hair has appeared in 26 games for the Green and White, starting 16 games, and pitching three complete games. She leads the team in innings pitched (94.1) and saves with three.
Hair ranks 11th in the nation in saves, while Weigle is ranked 25th nationally with .29 sacrifice hits per game.
SOPHOMORE SURGE
Lindsey Hansen has laid any doubts of a sophomore slump to rest, putting up impressive numbers this season. Through 36 games, Hansen is hitting .310 and leads the team in several categories, including triples (three), home runs (10), RBI (24) and slugging percentage (.664).
STOLEN BASE PROS
MSU is 38-for-43 in stolen base attempts this season, and Gina Mondo leads the team with nine. Kara Weigle has seven, Lindsey Hansen has six, and Karen Fox is 5-for-5 thus far.
WEBGEMS
Sophomore outfielder Karen Fox leads the team in fielding percentage. She has not committed an error through 29 of MSU's 36 games. Freshman Brett Williams recently began play in the Spartan outfield and has yet to commit an error in 17 games.
