McBride, Foerster Power Spartans to 9-2 Win Over Aggies
2/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Riverside, Calif. - The Spartans had a six-run second inning then tacked on three more in the bottom of the fifth to post a 9-1 win over Utah State (1-9). Lea Foerster cracked a bases-loaded double in the second, while Alyssa McBride went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI. First baseman McKinzie Freimuth was 2-for-2 in the contest as well.
Kristina Zalewski tossed five innings of one-run ball, striking out three and allowing just three hits.
Michigan State had its biggest inning of the season in the bottom of the second, plating six runs on four hits. . Shanin Thomas drew a leadoff walk, and she was sacrificed to second by McKenzie Long. McKinzie Freimuth singled to left, moving Thomas to third. The Spartans then executed a double steal with Jacquie Reiser at the plate - Freimuth started her progression to second, drawing the throw, which allowed Thomas to streak home as the second baseman threw to the plate, which allowed Freimuth to then take second uncontested. Reiser was hit by a pitch, and Kassidy Kujawa advanced the runners to load the bases as she came in as a pinch hitter and delivered a single to left. McBride followed with a bases-loaded single to plate Freimuth, once again loading the bases. Two batters later, Foerster came to the plate and smacked a double, emptying the bases and scoring all three runners; as Foerster attempted to move to third base on the throw, the shortstop overthrew the third baseman, which plated Foerster and gave the Spartans the early 6-0 lead
Utah State got its only run in the top of the fifth inning. Leadoff batter Amburlyn Orozco reached on an error, and MSU put on a second runner on base with a fielder's choice on another error with Sydney Hart at the plate. Jordyn McCracken sacrificed the runners over, That brought outfielder Sarah Chow to the plate, who smacked a ball into center field - and despite Foerster snagging the ball for an impressive catch, Orozco scored from third to get the Aggies on the board.
Some USU pitching struggles led to MSU's rally in the fifth that ended the game. Shanin Thomas and Destinee Luna hit back-to-back one-out singles, and Freumuth legged out a bunt single to load the bases. McCracken, the pitcher, then walked pinch hitter Sydney Heath and catcher Ellie Stoffer to plate two runs. McBride delivered her second RBI of the game with a single up the middle to end the game, as the Spartans had taken an eight-run lead.
