Michigan State University
8-5
San Diego
7-5
San Diego Nips MSU in Extra Innings, 3-2
2/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Riverside, Calif - Michigan State dropped its second straight game on Saturday afternoon, a 3-2 decision in eight innings to San Diego. It is the first time this season that MSU has suffered back-to-back losses, and the Spartans fall to 8-5 on the season. San Diego improves to 7-5 overall.
Lea Foerster continued her hot hitting, going 2-for-4 with both RBI. McKinzie Freimuth also had a pair of hits on the day. Kristina Zalewski went the distance, recording six strikeouts, scattering six hits and allowing just two earned runs.
It was the "little things" that doomed the Spartans, who committed three errors - including one that scored the winning run in extra innings - and stranded 11 runners.
"This one hurts," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "Its things that we need to clean up, both at the plate and defensively. Too many runners left, and too many errors. I've liked a lot of our progress, but I don't think that we made much, if any, today. We still have a lot of potential, and a lot of season left. We need to attack tomorrow as a new day, and leave California with a split."
The Spartans stranded two runners in the top of the first inning, as Foerster belted a leadoff single into center and Sarah Gutknecht worked a one-out walk after going down 0-2 in the count.
The Spartans did not make the same mistake in the second, as Reiser was hit by a pitch, then was sacrificed to second by Ellie Stoffer. Alyssa McBride legged out an infield single, and Lea Foerster brought in both runners with a single to center, her second hit of the game. Freimuth and Gutknecht followed with back-to-back infield singles, bringing up Shanin Thomas to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. With a full count, Thomas was assessed a strike for delay of game, giving VanSprecken the strikeout and stranding three runners.
San Diego led off the bottom of the inning with a homer to right center by freshman Kailey Hill, and Olivia Sandusky followed with a single to left. Frankkie Perales sacrificed her to second, and Zalewski got Mary Grabowski swinging for the second out of the inning. Borello legged out an infield single to put runners at the corners, but Reiser cleanly fielded the Morgan Kurtz's roller to the left side of the infield and made the play at first to get the Spartans out of the inning without any other damage.
The teams traded zeroes until the bottom of the fifth when USD knotted the score on a pair of singles. Kelsey Borello led off with a single, stole second, and then scored on a single by Chloe Kanerko, dislodging the ball on a collision at the plate.
MSU looked to rally in the top of the sixth, as Sydney Heath led off the frame with a single up the middle, her first collegiate hit. Reiser sacrificed her to second, but that was as far as she would go as VonSprecken retired the next two batters to move to the bottom of the frame.
Headed to extra innings, VonSprecken looked like she was in a spot of trouble, issuing back-to-back walks to start the top of the eighth. She then got back-to-back strikeouts and a ground ball to second base to get out of the jam, bringing the Spartan defense back onto the field. Leadoff hitter Danielle Mavridis reached on an error, putting runners at the corners with none out. Zalewski walked Rooney to load the bases, bringing up the pitcher VonSprecken; Zalewski got her to ground into a fielder's choice to get the out at home. With one out, Hall made contact, and reached on a Spartan error that allowed the winning run to score.
MSU wraps up the tournament on Sunday morning with a game against Utah State. Gametime is 9 am PT, 12 noon ET.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: VON SPRECKEN, Paige (6-1)
L: Zalewski, Kristina (5-3)
Batting:
RBI: Foerster, Lea 2
SH: Freimuth, McKinzie 1 ; Reiser, Jacquie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Reiser, Jacquie 1 ; McBride, Alyssa 1
SB: Foerster, Lea 1 ; Reiser, Jacquie 1 ; McBride, Alyssa 1
HBP: Reiser, Jacquie 1
Batting:
HR: HILL, Kailey 1
RBI: KANEKO, Chloe 1 ; HILL, Kailey 1
SH: ROONEY, Caitlin 1 ; PERALES, Frankie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SCHULTZ, Tatum 1 ; HILL, Kailey 1 ; BORELLO, Kelsey 1
SB: BORELLO, Kelsey 1
