MSU Splits Day One at FGCU

March 1, 2014

East Lansing, Mich. - - Michigan State (5-8) split its action at the Florida Gulf Coast Spring Break Invitational on Saturday, suffering a 6-3 loss to Bethune-Cookman in eight innings in game one before rebounding with a come-from-behind 7-3 win over LIU-Brooklyn in the nightcap. MSU posted season-best 11 hits in the second game as it scored twice in the fifth and four more times in the sixth to rally from a 3-1 deficit. In game one, MSU rallied to knot the game at 2-2 in the sixth inning, but left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh before watching a grand slam decide the game in favor of the Wildcats in game one.

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Both Spartan pitchers turned in complete-game efforts; McKinzie Freimuth went a combined 4-for-6 in the two games, while Sarah Gutknecht went 3-for-8 and had five RBI. In addition, junior Stephanie Sanders went 2-for-3 with two RBI, delivering her fourth pinch hit in the second game which plated MSU's go-ahead run against the Blackbirds.

"We left way, way too many runners on base in the first game, and failed to take advantage of our opportunities," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "We had only two more hits in the second game, but we came up with timely hits, which is the difference. I know that it's what we are capable of offensively, but I am looking for us to produce with more consistency. I'll look for us to continue to pursue that tomorrow. We'll be facing a very good team in Hofsta, and a home team in FGCU that is also a quality team that has had some success. I'm very happy with the efforts we got from both pitchers today - both of them pitched well enough for us to win."

Bethune-Cookman 6, Michigan State 3
Box Score

A grand slam by Kaitlin Alamprese in the top of the eighth inning helped Bethune-Cookman to an extra-innings victory over Michigan State, 6-3, in game one. Its MSU's second extra-inning heartbreak of the season, despite a strong outing from freshman pitcher Valerie Kaff, who fell to 3-4 with the loss. Kaff scattered six hits and struck out seven in her second consecutive complete game. The Spartans left nine runners on base in the contest compared to two for the Wildcats, including having the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Bethune-Cookman and the Spartans were scoreless through the first three innings, as both pitchers faced just two batters more than the minimum. In the top of the fourth, Bailey Conner singled to center with one on and one out, putting runners at the corners. Pitcher Sabrina Anguiano proceeded to double up the middle to plate both Conner and Alamprese, giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Kaff struck out Shamaria Engram to bring Sophia Ortega to the plate; she singled to center field, but Ellie Stoffer gunned down Anguiano at the plate for the third out of the inning.

The Spartans answered in the sixth. McKinzie Freimuth reached base after she was hit by a pitch, and Sarah Gutknecht laced a two-out double to center to plate Freimuth and cut the lead to one. Carly Nielsen followed with a single that sent Gutknecht across the plate to tie the game. Lindsey Besson became the second batter hit by a pitch in the inning, putting runners at first and second, but Shanin Thomas struck out swinging to end the MSU threat.

Kaff got out of the top of the seventh facing just four batters, retiring two straight batters after a leadoff single to Anguiano. Besson gunned down Ortega as she attempted to steal second, retiring the Wildcats.

In the bottom of the seventh, Anguiano walked pinch hitter Alyssa McBride to lead off the inning. After Destinee Luna popped out to short, Stoffer singled through the right side, and Freimuth's sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third with two out. The Wildcats intentionally walked Kujawa to load the bases, but got Gutknecht to pop out to second to end the Spartan hopes of a walkoff.

In the top of the eighth, Ortega was placed on second, and leadoff hitter Breanna Chavez was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Calesha Shelley singled to short to advance the runners and load the bases; Kaff got Kelsey Rodney to pop out with an infield fly for the second out of the inning; Alamprese then came to the plate and launched a 3-2 pitch over the fence in left to give her team a 6-2 advantage. MSU got one back in the bottom of the eighth when Sanders singled to right to plate Dana Briggs, but 6-3 was as close as the Spartans would get, as Jacquie Reiser struck out to end the game.

MSU 7, LIU 3
Box Score

The Spartans rebounded from the extra-inning loss with a season-high 11 hits, downing LIU-Brooklyn 7-4. MSU rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game with two runs in the fifth, then a four-run rally in the top of the sixth to secure the come-from-behind win.

McKinzie Freimuth went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Sarah Gutknecht went 2-for-4 and contributed four RBI. Shanin Thomas went 2-for-3. Kelly Smith picked up her second win of the season with a complete-game effort.

Freimuth led off the game with a triple to right center, her second three-bagger in as many games. After Carly Nielsen grounded out, Gutknecht fouled out to left field, but plated Freimuth on the play to give MSU an early lead. Besson popped out to end the inning.

Sarah Gutknecht

In the LIU half of the first, Lauren Morizi led off with a double to right, and Toven drew a one-out walk to put runners on first and second with one out. Shier followed with a single to short to load the bases, bringing Kayla Gloady to the plate. She reached base on a fielder's choice that plated Morizi, and Toven crossed the plate after a throwing error by Luna to give the Blackbirds a 2-1 lead.

A two-out single by Sara Shier in the bottom of the third gave LIU a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning. After Smith retired Morizi to lead off the inning, Whitney West laid down a bunt single and then stole second to move into scoring position. Nichole Toven struck out swinging, but Shier delivered the RBI single to allow the Blackbirds to add to their lead.

Jazmin Rodriguez led off the Blackbird half of the fourth with a double, but Smith got back-to-back flyouts, then got out of the inning when Madison Zymkowitz struck out looking - Smith's 12th victim she's gotten looking on a third strike this season, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten.

Destinee Luna got something going for MSU in the top of the fifth, lacing a one-out single to left, advancing on a wild pitch. Freimuth moved Luna to third with a single to left center, and the shortstop scored to cut the lead to 3-2 on a groundout by Carly Nielsen. With Freimuth on third, Sarah Gutknecht delivered a two-out single through the left side to plate Freimuth and knot the score at three. Besson followed with a single to move Gutknecht to second, but the Spartans were retired as Kujawa hit a comebacker to the pitcher for the third out. MSU got two across, however, as the teams were tied at 3-3.

Smith retired the first two batters in the fifth on three pitches, getting Morizi to ground out to second and West to fly out to left. Toven doubled through the right side on the first pitch she saw, bringing Shier to the plate. Shier struck out swinging to retire LIU, sending MSU to the plate with the game knotted at three.

MSU continued its rally in the top of the sixth. Shelley Proctor came in to relieve pitcher Cassie Vondrak to start the inning, and allowed a leadoff double to Shanin Thomas into left center to put the first batter on base. Stoffer moved Thomas to third with a sacrifice bunt, bringing Stephanie Sanders to the plate as a pinch hitter for Reiser. Sanders delivered a single up the middle, scoring Thomas for the go-ahead run. Destinee Luna walked to put runners at first and second and chasing Proctor from the game. Alyssa Lanktree came on to throw for LIU, and Freimuth greeted her with a single to right which loaded the bases. Lanktree struck out Nielsen for the second out of the inning; a wild pitch to Gutknecht plated Sanders for a 5-3 advantage, and left runners at second and third for the freshman third baseman. She proceeded to lace a single to left, plating two RBI and advancing to third base on the throw. Besson struck out to end the rally, but not before the Spartans sent four across the plate to take a 7-3 lead.

Smith retired the Blackbirds in the sixth and seventh innings, getting six outs by facing just eight batters. On the day, she picked up her second win of the season by scattering eight hits, striking out three and walking two.

MSU returns to action on Sunday, facing Hofstra and tournament host Florida Gulf Coast in back-to-back games, beginning at 12:15 p.m.