Michigan State University
2-0
Rhode Island
0-1
Spartan Offense Rolls in 7-1 Win over Rhode Island
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DeLand, Florida - Michigan State improved to 2-0 on the season with a 7-1 victory over Rhode Island in the second game of the Stetson Leadoff Classic. The Spartans rattled off 10 hits, two each for seniors Alyssa McBride and Stephanie Sanders and sophomore Sarah Gutknecht.
Freshman pitcher Bridgette Rainey made her collegiate debut, while redshirt freshman Kristina Zalewski returned to the active roster after pitching just 33 innings in an injury-shortened 2014 campaign.
"I'm happy with what we accomplished today," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "We were able to try a couple of different things lineup-wise, and our freshmen got some experience. We're still going to go through the process of getting everyone feeling comfortable and confident - those first-game and first-day jitters are real. I thought we swung the bat pretty well, and got some nice work out of our pitchers. We're going to look for more of that again tomorrow when we have two more games on tap."
Kassidy Kujawa gave MSU a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, leading off the inning with a home run over the left-field fence. It was the first homer of the season for the sophomore, and the fourth of her career.
In the top of the third,freshman Lea Foerster and Gutknecht each got on with a pair of two-out singles, and advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. Sanders followed with a double to left, plating two runs and giving the Spartans a 3-0 lead. After Kujawa drew a walk, the inning ended on a groundout to third by Destinee Luna.
The Rams chipped into the MSU lead in the bottom of the third. Danielle Gariglio earned a one-out walk, and advanced when left fielder Emily Hendricks legged out an infield single. Rainey hit Lauren Klepcick to load the bases, and Ali Summers reached on a fielder's choice, plating Gariglio to cut MSU's lead to 3-1. Deanna Wolf grounded out to Gutknecht at third, ending the inning.
MSU got the run right back in the top of the fourth, as McBride led off the inning with an infield single, and Stoffer sacrificed her over to second. Foerster smacked a double up the middle, plating McBride. Freshman Sydney Heath came in to hit for McKenzie Long, taking first on a walk, bringing Gutknecht to the plate. She ripped the first pitch just into foul territory in deep left, but flew out one pitch later for the third out of the inning.
Zalewski spelled Rainey for the bottom of the fifth. The freshman tossed four innings, allowing one run with a pair of strikeouts and two walks. Zalewski, who missed a significant portion of the 2014 season, threw three innings, working out of a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth and finishing with three strikeouts and earning her first career save.
In the top of the sixth, Gutknecht and Sanders reached base with back-to-back two-out hits, bringing Kujawa to the plate. The sophomore had been walked twice in the game to that point, but popped out to deep right to strand a pair.
McBride led off the top of the seventh with a stand-up double to deep center, and scored when Lea Foerster reached on an error. Freimuth smacked a two-out double off the wall in deep center to plate Foerster, making it a 7-1 game. Freimuth then took third on a passed ball, but URI finally got out of the inning on another hard-hit ball to center, this one by Long.
Despite a one-out single by Megan Congro in the bottom of the seventh, Zalewski worked an efficient half-inning to retire the side and secure MSU's second victory of the day.
Defensively, senior McKinzie Freimuth tied her career best with 13 putouts against the Rams. In the two games, she recorded 20 putouts without an error.
The Spartans are back in action on Saturday, playing Morehead State in a 2 p.m. start, followed by a 4 p.m. game against host Stetson. MSU will cap the tournament with a 10 a.m. game against Akron on Sunday morning.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rainey, Bridgette (1-0)
L: KENNEDY, Caitlin (0-1)
S: Zalewski, Kristina (1)
Batting:
2B: Freimuth, McKinzie 1 ; McBride, Alyssa 1
HR: Kujawa, Kassidy 1
RBI: Freimuth, McKinzie 1 ; Sanders, Stephanie 2 ; Kujawa, Kassidy 1 ; Stoffer, Ellie 1 ; Foerster, Lea 1
SH: Stoffer, Ellie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Long, McKenzie 1 ; Gutknecht, Sarah 1 ; Kujawa, Kassidy 1 ; Reiser, Jacquie 1 ; McBride, Alyssa 2 ; Foerster, Lea 1
SB: Reiser, Jacquie 1
Batting:
RBI: SUMMERS, Ali 1
SH: CUBELLO, Jenna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GARIGLIO, Danielle 1
HBP: KLEPCHICK, Lauren 1
PO: KLEPCHICK, Lauren 1
