EMU Bests Spartans In Extras, 6-5

April 14, 2015

East Lansing, Mich. -- Michigan State battled with in-state rival Eastern Michigan for nine innings, but the Spartans could not match the Eagles' ninth-inning rally and fell, 6-5 on Tuesday at Secchia Stadium. EMU got a solo shot from Jenn Lucas to pull ahead in the top of the ninth and added an insurance run, but the Spartans could only get one in their counter-rally in the bottom of the frame.

Redshirt sophomore Dani Goranson got her second start of the season for Michigan State (16-25), returning to the circle after an injury has kept her out of commission since February. She went 3.1 innings, allowing one run and surrendering just two hits, striking out three. Zalewski relieved her and tossed 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs, scattering eight hits and striking out six. Valerie Kaff threw the final inning. Lindsay Rich went 8.2 innings for the Eagles, allowing 12 hits and four earned runs, walking six and striking out five.

MSU left 14 runners on base in the game, dropping its eighth straight decision. The Spartans committed three errors, and allowed the Eagles to steal seven bases on the day. Freshman Lea Foerster went 4-for-5 with two doubles, while Stephanie Sanders hit her fourth home run of the season and had two hits on the day, as did Kassidy Kujawa and McKenzie Long.

"It's a case of missed opportunities," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "We commit one error, and instead of getting out of an inning, it creates not just one, but maybe two or three more opportunities. I'm really proud of Dani - she has really had a very long road to become well enough to throw for us again, and she had a good outing. We just struggle to put it all together - pitching, hitting, defense."

After Goranson opened the game with a pair of strikeouts in the top of the first, the Spartans came out aggressive and plated a run just two batters into the game. Kassidy Kujawa led off with a triple to right, and she scored on a ball up the middle by McKinzie Freimuth that was misplayed through the legs of the second baseman. Foerster followed with a single up the middle, and Stephanie Sanders sacrificed them over to second and third. McKenzie Long reached on an infield single which scored Freimuth for a 2-0 lead. Lindsay Rich retired Destinee Luna and Jacquie Reiser to get out of the inning.

Meanwhile, Goranson got through her first three innings back in the circle with three strikeouts, a walk, and a lone hit. The Eagles got to her in the top of the fourth, as M Kriegshauser walked on a full count and was replaced by pinch runner Angel Schilke. She was sacrificed to second by Abi Clark, and then she got to third on a Taylor Wagner single to leave runners at the corners with just one down. The Eagles put on the double steal to plate their first run of the game, and Kristina Zalewski entered the game in relief of Goranson at that point. Zalewski got pitcher Lindsay Rich to strike out swinging, then enticed Abby Davidson into a groundout to end the inning. MSU got a pair of two-out walks in the bottom of the fourth, but Rich worked out of her jam and got Kassidy Kujawa to ground out to get out of the inning.

In the top of the fifth, the Eagles put their first two runners on to threaten with none out. Brandice Olmos led off with a double up the right-field line, and Eline Whitbeck laid down a nice bunt single to put runners at the corners. Whitbeck stole second, and Zalewski struck out Haley Hostetler, but Jenn Lucas reached base when her bunt attempt was bobbled, allowing pinch runner Hostetler to score from third. Kriegshauser then reached on another error in the Spartan infield, plating Whitbeck for the go-ahead run, 3-2. Zalewski got Abi Clark to strike out for the second out, and Wagner grounded out to third to get the Spartans out of the frame - but not before the Eagles had taken the lead.

Foerster contributed a second one-out double - this time up the right field line - as MSU looked to stage a rally in the bottom of the fifth to answer immediately. Sanders took it into her own hands, sending the first pitch she saw to dead center, clearing the wall just to the right of the 220 sign for her fourth home run of the season, which gave MSU a 4-3 lead. Long flied out to center for the second out, but pinch hitter Jordan Davis came in and reached on an error by the shortstop. That brought in another pinch hitter, Shanin Thomas - but she grounded out to second to put an end to the Spartan rally.

Eastern tied the game on an MSU miscue in the top of the sixth, as Rich led off with a single to left, was moved to second on a sac bunt, and then scored on an error in the infield. Olmos, who reached on the error, was gunned down as she tried to take second for the second out of the inning. Aoife Duffy came in as a pinch hitter and delivered a single to left, but Haley Hostetler struck out swinging to keep the game tied at 4-4.

Zalewski worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the eighth. Wagner led off the top of the eighth with a single to left, and Rich bunted her over to second on a sacrifice. Abby Davidson singled to right, putting runners on the corners with just one out. Zalewski walked Olmos to load the bases, bringing Whitbeck to the plate. Whitbeck hit a ground ball to first, and Freimuth threw home for the forceout, and the return to first just missed the runner to deny the Spartans an inning-ending double play. Haley Hostetler popped out to Stoffer in foul territory to end the Eagle threat.

The Spartans had a good chance at ending the contest in the bottom of the eigth. With two outs, Kujawa produced an infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch, and then Rich put Freimuth on with a five-pitch walk. Foerster followed by legging out a bunt single to load the bases, her fourth hit of the day. Sanders hit a ball hard to left, but Whitbeck hauled it in to leave the bases loaded.

After the leadoff homer by Lucas in the ninth, Kreigshauser singled and Clark worked a full-count walk, all without an out. Kaff replaced Zalewski in the circle, and after Wagner grounded out, Rich reached on a fielder's choice, bringing home Kriegshauser for a 6-4 lead. Kaff then enticed Davidson into a groundout, and Olmos flied out for the final out of the ninth.

McKenzie Long led off the ninth with a single up the right side, and two outs later, Stoffer worked a full-count walk to put two on for Alyssa McBride. McBride singled up the middle to score Long, cutting the lead to 6-5; Rich was replaced in the circleat that point by Abbie Minsker. Minsker quickly got ahead in the count on Kujawa, and got the sophomore to fly out to right to end the game.

MSU hosts Michigan on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Secchia Stadium.

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Team Stats

Lea Foerster

Kassidy Kujawa

Stephanie Sanders

McKenzie Long

Players Mentioned

Jordan Davis

Lea Foerster

McKinzie Freimuth

Dani Goranson

Valerie Kaff

Kassidy Kujawa

McKenzie Long

Destinee Luna

Alyssa McBride

Jacquie Reiser

Stephanie Sanders

Shanin Thomas

Kristina Zalewski