Michigan State University
9-26, 2-10
Michigan
31-6, 10-0
Spartans Fall to UM 9-1
4/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 11, 2014
Ann Arbor, Mich. - Michigan State (9-26, 2-10 B1G) trailed No. 5 Michigan 3-1 after three and a half innings of play, but the host Wolverines (31-6, 10-0) plated three runs in each the fourth and fifth innings to post a 9-1 victory in the first of three games between the teams. Only one Wolverine starter went without a hit, and pitcher Haylie Wagner helped her own cause with three RBI.
Kassidy Kujawa hit a long home run in the third inning to make it a 3-1 game, but Wagner limited the Spartans to just three hits on the day. MSU left four on base, while the Wolverines stranded 11.
"I thought we were playing really well, and it just got away from us in those last couple of innings," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "That's what they can do to you - they hit well and are a pretty smart team. We'll focus on the positives from today when we play them tomorrow at home."
Michigan jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one inning, and added three more in the final two innings of play to end the game after five innings. Both Nicole Sappingfield and Caitlin Blanchard led Michigan with two hits, while Wagner struck out four and walked one. She threw just 67 pitches, compared to 132 for Kellyt Smith, the MSU starter who struck out five and walked seven .
Smith walked Doyle in four pitches to lead off the game, then gave up a standup double to left to Sappingfield on a 3-2 pitch to plate Doyle for the first run o fthe game . Sierra Romero followed with a liner to left that moved Sappingfield to third leaving runners at the corners for Sierra Lawrence with none out. Smith got Lawrence to pop out in foul territory, and Taylor Hasselbach did the same for the second out. Smith walked Caitlin Blanchard to load the bases, and pitcher Haylie Wagner stepped into the box and worked a full count before lacing a double to center that scored two and pushed UM's lead to 3-0. Smith got Lauren Sweet to go down swinging and strand two.
The Spartans put the first two runners on in the top of the second - Lindsey Besson was hit by a pitch, and Destinee Luna followed with a single up the middle. Ellie Stoffer's sac bunt moved the runners to second and third, but pinch hitter Sarah Bowling swung at the first pitch and grounded back to the pitcher, unable to move the runners. Wagner walked Freimuth to load the bases, going down 0-2 in the count before watching Wagner toss four straight balls. Alyssa McBride came to bat and sent a 2-2 pitch into shallow left, but Doyle was up to the task and snagged it on the run for the third out of the inning.
Abby Raimrez led off the bottom of the inning with a triple to left that just kissed the foul line, but Smith got both Doyle and Sappingfield to ground out to Jacquie Reiser at second. Romero walked to put runners at the corners, then stole second. Smith got Lawrence looking for the third out, stranding a pair.
Kassidy Kujawa led off the top of the third, and hit a rocket that traveled about 240 feet over the center-field wall, her third home run of the season and first since the opening weekend of the season. Gutknecht followed with a bloop single into left, and Sanders reached on a fielder's choice. Lindsey Besson's at bat resulted in a bit of confusion - she hit the ball off her left foot, but the umps called it a fair ball, and the Wolverines turned a 6-4-3 double play. The Spartans argued the call, but it was not overturned and the teams went into the bottom of the third.
Smith got Hasselbach swinging to open the bottom of the third, and Blanchard flew out to right for two quick outs. Wagner was hit by a pitch to put a runner on first, and Sweet followed with a single to right center to leave runners at first and second for Ramirez. Smith got her to pop out to Besson in foul territory, ending the inning.
After MSU went down in order in the top of the fourth, Smith got leadoff hitter Doyle looking, but Sappingfield got on base with a single into right. She walked Romero, and Lawrence followed with a double off the wall in left to score Sappingfield and give UM a 4-1 lead. Smith walked Hasselbach, to load the bases, and Blanchard singled into left, scoring Romero and leaving the bases loaded for Wagner. Smith hit her counterpart in the shoulder, walking in a third run in the inning. After Sweet popped out to Sarah Gutknecht in foul territory, Kelsey Susalla entered as a pinch hitter, but Smith got her swinging to end the inning.
Three hits and a pair of walks led to three more runs for Michigan in the bottom of the fifth, ending the game with a 9-1 decision for the home team. Doyle led off the Michigan half of the fifth with a single to right that just got under the glove of a diving Reiser, and Sappingfield and Romero both walked to load the bases for the Wolverines. Lawrence's sacrifice fly brought Doyle in, and Hasselbach doubled in the eighth run. Blanchards single center ended the rally,
The teams will play again on Saturday in East Lansing; game two of the series will air on the Big Ten Digital Network. Game three, scheduled for noon and airing live on the Big Ten Network will also be played at Secchia Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wagner (19-0)
L: Smith, Kelly (2-12)
Batting:
HR: Kujawa, Kassidy 1
RBI: Kujawa, Kassidy 1
SH: Stoffer, Ellie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kujawa, Kassidy 1
HBP: Kujawa, Kassidy 1 ; Besson, Lindsey 1
Batting:
2B: Sappingfield 1 ; Lawrence 1 ; Hasselbach 1 ; Wagner 1
3B: Ramirez 1
RBI: Sappingfield 1 ; Lawrence 2 ; Hasselbach 1 ; Blanchard 2 ; Wagner 3
SF: Lawrence 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Doyle 2 ; Sappingfield 3 ; Romero 3 ; Lawrence 1
SB: Romero 1
HBP: Wagner 2
