Michigan State University Athletics
Smith Named B1G Pitcher of the Week
4/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 21, 2014
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State senior pitcher Kelly Smith (Friendswood, Texas) has been named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week, as announced by the Conference office on Monday, April 21. Smith put together three outstanding performances for MSU last weekend, and added to the Spartan record book in the process.
Overall on the week, Smith went 3-0, and didn't allow a run. She opened her week with a no-hitter on Wednesday at Secchia Stadium vs. Eastern Michigan, and then pitched two shutouts on the road in Iowa City; she struck out 23 batters in her three outings, walking just three.
Wednesday's no-hitter was the 20th in MSU program history, and it propelled MSU to a 1-0 non-conference win over Eastern Michigan to snap a four-game skid. Smith, who struck out a season-best nine and walked just one on the day, threw 95 pitches, and had her team-best ninth complete game of the season.
The most recent no-hitter for MSU was thrown by Lauren Kramer on Feb. 13, 2010, an 8-0 victory in five innings over Stetson. Of MSU's 20 no-hitters in program history, Smith's was just the eighth thrown at a home game, and the first since Lesley Noel's on April 18, 2007. The Spartans got all the offense they would need in a sixth-inning solo homer by junior right fielder Carly Nielsen.
Smith followed her no-no with another masterful pitching performance at Iowa on the road on Friday evening. Smith twirled a three-hitter, with eight strikeouts and just one walk , as the Spartans relied on the performance of their senior hurler as well as an RBI single from Stephanie Sanders in the sixth inning.
Smith got her third start of the week for MSU (12-29, 4-13 B1G) and put together another sterling pitching performance in a 4-0 victory against the Hawkeyes on Sunday afternoon, allowing MSU to win its first-ever series in Iowa City. Smith scattered five hits and struck out six, including the final batter in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Hawkeyes threatened with two runners in scoring position.
The Spartans have won three of their last four games, and will host four games at Secchia Stadium this week. MSU welcomes intra-state rival Central Michigan to East Lansing on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. game, then will host No. 20 Nebraska for a three-game series that begins Friday at 5 p.m. It will be the first-ever games for the Cornhuskers at MSU, as the teams have played just four times in their program histories.
