Michigan State University
16-20, 0
Rutgers
19-9, 0
Spartans Drop Finale At Rutgers
4/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
East Lansing, Mich. -- After a wild day on Saturday that started with a continued game and ended in a 39-run slugfest, Rutgers closed out a series sweep of Michigan State with a 5-2 win in the finale. MSU falls to 16-20 overall, 1-8 Big Ten, and Rutgers continues it's first season in Big Ten action with a 19-9 record, 7-2 B1G.
Freshman southpaw Bridgette Rainey brought some stability to the circle for the Spartans, going the distance after all three healthy pitchers had to throw on Saturday. She walked eight and struck out four, while scattering six hits in six innings. Rutgers ace Alissa Landrith picked up her second win in the series and gave up nine hits, striking out two and walking four. Kassidy Kujawa, Lea Foerster, and McKinzie Freimuth each tallied two of MSU's nine base hits, and senior Stephanie Sanders hit her second home run of the season.
Rutgers got the first runs of the game in the bottom of the third inning. After Rainey put the first two batters on via walk, she got both Jackie Bates and Jordan Whitley to ground out . Melanie Slowinski came up and singled to center, bringing home both runners for a 2-0 lead.
After stranding two runners in each of the first four innings, MSU finally got its first run of the game in the fifth. Sanders reached on a fielder's choice, and was moved to second on a single through the right side by Kujawa. Shanin Thomas hit a ball to the second baseman which nabbed Kujawa at first, but the ball was thrown away, which allowed Sydney Heath, (pinch running for Sanders), to score from third. Luna lined out to second to end the inning,
The home team rallied for three runs in the fifth to break open the game. A Melanie Slowinski single put a pair of runners on, and they both advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Rebecca Hall hit into a fielder's choice, but Carly Todd's single scored both pinch runner Knott and Slowinski for a 5-1 lead. A bunt single and hit by pitch loaded the bases, but Rainey got Stephanie Huang to ground into a fielder's choice to get the force out at home.
In MSU's last at-bat, Sanders led off with a solo home run to left, her second homer of the season. Kujawa followed with a single down the right-field line to try to keep things going, but Shanin Thomas grounded into a double play to erase the Spartan threat. Pinch hitter McKenzie Long flew out to left to end the game.
Rainey brought some stability to the circle for the Spartans, going the distance after all three healthy pitchers had to throw on Saturday. She walked eight and struck out four, while scattering six hits in six innings. Rutgers ace Alissa Landrith picked up her second win in the series and gave up nine hits, striking out two and walking four.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Landrith, A (0-0)
L: Rainey, Bridgette (1-5)
Batting:
HR: Sanders, Stephanie 1
RBI: Sanders, Stephanie 1
SH: Stoffer, Ellie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sanders, Stephanie 1 ; Heath, Sydney 1
CS: Thomas, Shanin 1
HBP: Gutknecht, Sarah 1 ; Kujawa, Kassidy 1
Batting:
RBI: Slowinski, M 2 ; Todd, C 2
SH: Slowinski, M 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Howard, C 1 ; Bates, J 1 ; Whitley, J 1 ; Slowinski, M 1 ; Kott, J 1
CS: Whitley, J 1
HBP: Carr, B 1
