Michigan State University
8-4
UC Riverside
7-4
Late Rally Propels UC Riverside over MSU
2/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Riverside, Calif.- A tight game early turned blew open late as home team UC Riverside scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to post a 9-2 win over the Spartans. Kristina Zalewski took the loss in relief, while freshman Lea Foerster went 2-for-4 and had both RBI, delivering an RBI double and smacking her first career home run over the wall in right center.
Riverside jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as Jenna Curtan smacked a leadoff single and was sacrificed to second. Erika Campbell's double down the right field line plated Curtan, giving the home team an early lead.
The Spartans got the run back in the top of the third. Gutknecht singled to short by legging out the infield hit; Foerster followed with a shot down the left-field line that brought home Gutknecht with the tying run.
Michigan State had an opportunity to blow open the game a bit in the top of the fifth. Foerster led off the inning with a bomb to right center, her first career home run, to give the Spartans a 2-1 advantage. After Stephanie Sanders flied out, Thomas walked and moved to second on an error by the shortstop, as McKenzie Long reached on the infield single that put a pair of runners on base. Freimuth sacrificed the runners over, followed by Destinee Luna getting hit by a pitch, loading the bases with two outs. That brought Ellie Stoffer to the plate, but she grounded to short, getting Long at third with the forceout to allow the home team out of the inning without much damage. It was three of MSU's 11 stranded runners in the contest.
Kaff allowed just the lone run in the bottom of the first, striking out two and allowing just four hits in her four innings of work. Zalewski came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth, and allowed an RBI single to Curtan with two on to tie the game at 2-2. Campbell then followed with a single to right center to plate UCR's second run of the frame, but Zalewski got a fly ball to center and a groundout to end the inning trailing 3-2.
The sixth inning was a wave of offense for the Highlanders, as they posted six runs and five hits. Goranson came in for Zalewski after the redshirt freshman allowed a leadoff single to Chelsea Holley, but UCR began their parade to the plate nonetheless as Taylor Wright plated another run with a double to left. Tickmeyer reached on a fielder's choice as Freimuth got the out at the plate on the bunt attempt, but a single to Karina Romero, and another Spartan error put runners at the corners for Rebecca Faulkner. The pitcher smacked a home run over the wall in left center to push three more runs across, giving the home team a lead it would not relinquish. Bridgette Rainey came in and got the final out to send MSU to the plate in search of a rally.
It was not to be, despite Thomas working a leadoff walk and advancing to third on consecutive groundouts, as MSU dropped its fourth game of the season.
With an 8-4 record, the Spartans will take on San Diego on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 am PT).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ponce, Chelsea (6-2)
L: Zalewski, Kristina (5-2)
S: Faulkner, Rebecca (3)
Batting:
2B: Foerster, Lea 1
HR: Foerster, Lea 1
RBI: Foerster, Lea 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Gutknecht, Sarah 1 ; Foerster, Lea 1
HBP: Luna, Destinee 1 ; McBride, Alyssa 1
Batting:
2B: Wright, Taylor 1
HR: Faulkner, Rebecca 1
RBI: Romero, Karina 1 ; Campbell, Erika 2 ; Harris, Haley 1 ; Faulkner, Rebecca 3 ; Wright, Taylor 1
SH: Romero, Karina 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Curtan, Jenna 3 ; Romero, Karina 1 ; Harris, Haley 1 ; Faulkner, Rebecca 1 ; Holley, Chelsey 1 ; Tickemyer, Stephanie 2
SB: Harris, Haley 1
CS: Tickemyer, Stephanie 1
HBP: Tickemyer, Stephanie 1
