Spartans Drop Opener at Northwestern

May 2, 2014

East Lansing, Mich. - - Homestanding Northwestern scored four runs in the bottom of the third and posted three more in the fifth to earn an 8-0 victory (in five innings) over Michigan State on Friday afternoon in Evanston. The Spartans (12-34, 4-17 B1G) had a pair of hits from freshman Sarah Gutknecht on the afternoon.

For the Wildcats, Emily Allard went 3-for-4, while Mari Majam and Marisa Bast each went 2-for 3 on the day, and Majam knocked in three runs. Kristen Wood struck out six and walked five, while allowing just the two hits to Gutknecht. Kelly Smith pitched for MSU, walking five and striking out three.

The Spartans stranded eight runners on the day, including having a runner at third in three of the five innings and baserunners in four of the five. We're just not able to generate enough to get runners across the plate," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "We had runners in almost every inning, but just didn't get anyone across. It's been a recurring theme for us - we just have to stay in the fight. You just never know what at-bat can be a breakthrough. I believe that if we break through and get a couple hits or score a run, it will be contagious. We just have to have a bit of confidence to get us going. "

MSU left a pair on in both the first and second innings, as McKinzie Freimuth drew a leadoff walk to start the game, stole second, and moved to third on Gutknecht's first hit of the day, but a strikeout and groundout ended the inning. In the second, Wood issued back-to-back one-out walks to Sarah Bowling and Ellie Stoffer, and both advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. However, a strikeout and popout got Wood out of the inning without any damage.

The Wildcats drew first blood in the bottom of the third inning, plating four runs on four hits. After Wood retired the Spartans in order in the top of the inning - the only time on the day she was able to do so - Allard got on base with a one-out single up the middle, then stole second. Allard was brought home by a Majam single, and Bast doubled down the left field line to push the lead to 2-0. After Andrea DiPrima walked, Anna Edwards doubled to right to bring Bast home and move DiPrima to third; she was brought home by a sac fly by Filler for a 4-0 lead.

The Spartans had another runner in scoring position in the top of the fourth, when Kassidy Kujawa walked to lead off the inning, was sacrificed to second by Destinee Luna, then moved to third on a long fly to center by Bowling. Stoffer was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners, but Shanin Thomas went down swinging to end the Spartan threat. Northwestern plated one in the bottom of the inning, on an RBI single by Majam, to push its lead to 5-0 after four innings.

MSU stranded two more in the top of the fifth. Freimuth led off the inning and fouled off the first two pitches to get behind in the count, and then saw four straight balls to earn a leadoff walk. McBride grounded out, which moved Freimuth to second. Gutknecht came to the plate and came up with an infield single to put runners at the corners with just one out. Once again, Wood worked out of the jam, popping up Sanders and getting Kujawa to strike out to strand the two runners.

The Wildcats finished off the game with a three- run effort in the bottom of the fifth. Brianna LeBeau led off the inning with a homer to right; Smith then walked Filler (after a nine-pitch at-bat), and Paige Tonz in back-to-back plate appearances Sammy Albanese's RBI single plated Filler to make it 7-0, and Allard laid down a bunt that loaded the bases, and Majam walked on a 3-1 pitch to walk in the third run of the inning, closing out the game with an 8-0 final score.

The teams will meet again on Saturday in a 2 p.m. first pitch.

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Team Stats

Sarah Gutknecht

McKinzie Freimuth

Alyssa McBride

Dana Briggs

Players Mentioned

Sarah Bowling

McKinzie Freimuth

Sarah Gutknecht

Kassidy Kujawa

Destinee Luna

Kelly Smith

Ellie Stoffer

Shanin Thomas