Michigan State University
1-0
Middle Tennessee State
0-1
Long's Walkoff Gives Spartans Win in Season Opener
2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
A two-run home run from the bat of shortstop McKenzie Long gave MSU a 3-2 walkoff win over Middle Tennessee State in the season opener for both squads. MSU (1-0) got a 3-for-3 performance from centerfielder Lea Foerster, who scored two of MSU's three runs.
Dani Goranson went five innings with seven strikeouts, Rainey went 1.1 innings with one strikeout, and Celeste Wood got the win with 2/3 of an inning of work, her first collegiate action in the circle.
The Blue Raiders took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 7th inning on a single up the left field line, but just two batters into the bottom of the frame, MSU got the big hit from it's sophomore Long. Foerster led off the inning with her third hit of the day, and Long launched a 3-1 pitch over the right field wall for her first home run of the season and the fifth of her career.
Michigan State will take on host Florida Gulf Coast in the final game of the day at the FGCU Softball Complex.
QUOTABLE
"We I think there was some first-game stuff that we had to get through, and we left an awful lot of runners on base throughout the game. That was a big, big hit for McKenzie Long and a really strong way for her to start off her sophomore season. We still have another game tonight, so we won't get to celebrate this for long - but we will enjoy the moment. "
-- Head Coach Jacquie Joseph
TOP PERFORMERS
- Dani Goranson was the opening-game pitcher for the Spartans, starting her season healthy for the first time since 2012. She had a career-high seven strikeouts, and also surrendered just two hits and one run.
- Lea Foerster went 3-3 with a walk, and scored twice. She accounted for half of MSU's six hits.
- McKenzie Long reached on an error in the first to plate Foerster for the first run of the game, but recorded her first hit of the season in the bottom of the 7th with the game-winning walkoff homer.
- Lindsey Besson and Jordan Davis each picked up their first hits of the season.
- Besson recorded a game-high seven putouts, and Gutknecht had six at first base.
- Celeste Wood picked up her first collegiate victory, tossing 2/3 of an inning and recording two outs. She also surrendered one run and one hit.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- The Spartans pushed across a run in the bottom of the first. Lea Foerster led off the game with a double and came home when McKenzie Long reached on an error at first.
- Dani Munoz hit a solo homer to lead off the top of the fifth to tie the game at 1-1. It was just the second hit of the night off of Goranson.
- The Spartans loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth. Foerster worked a one-out walk, and Kujawa was hit by a pitch to put two on. Shanin Thomas walked on a 3-2 pitch, but MSU left the bases loaded when Gutknecht grounded out to the pitcher.
- Bridgette Rainey entered for Goranson in the top of the sixth after the junior walked leadoff hitter Precious Birdsong. A walk and a hit batter loaded the bases for Middle Tennessee with two outs, and took a 2-0 lead on Munoz, who had homered in the fifth. Rainey got Munoz swinging on a 3-2 pitch to get out of the inning.
- In the bottom of the sixth, Luna drew a two-out walk, and was replaced on the basepaths by Jacquie Reiser. Reiser stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch, but was stranded after a strikeout by Ebonee Echols.
- Wood entered for Rainey with one out in the top of the seventh, after Rainey hit the leadoff batter, she advanced on a sac bunt, and then walked a second runner on base. The freshman went up in the count 2-0 on Birdsong, but the leadoff hitter for the Blue Raiders ripped a shot up the left field line to plate a go-ahead run. Wood remained composed, and got a pair of groundouts to get MSU out of the inning with little damage, setting up Long's heroics
- Echols was the lone freshman in the starting lineup, but Kelly Zachrison came in as a pinch runner in the fourth, and Wood entered in the circle in the 7th.
- The sophomore class accounted for all six Spartan hits.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wood, Celeste (1-0)
L: CHENEY, Kelci (0-1)
Batting:
2B: BIRDSONG, Precious 1
HR: MUNOZ, Danielle 1
RBI: BIRDSONG, Precious 1 ; MUNOZ, Danielle 1
SH: GROVE, Payton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MUNOZ, Danielle 1 ; USELTON, Kristin 1
HBP: BIRDSONG, Precious 1 ; GRIFFITH, Megan 1 ; USELTON, Kristin 1
Batting:
2B: Foerster, Lea 1
HR: Long, McKenzie 1
RBI: Long, McKenzie 2
SH: Long, McKenzie 1 ; Kujawa, Kassidy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Foerster, Lea 2 ; Long, McKenzie 1
SB: Long, McKenzie 1 ; Reiser, Jacquie 1
HBP: Kujawa, Kassidy 1
