No. 17 Sun Devils Use Longball To Down MSU, 5-2

Friday, February 19

Tempe, Arizona

8:00 PM

Michigan State University

4-3

Arizona State

7-1

Michigan State

Arizona State

2/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Feb. 19, 2016

Box Score

SPARTAN SYNOPSIS

An impressive pitching outing by junior Dani Goranson wasn't enough to overcome a pair of long balls, as No. 17 Arizona State defeated Michigan State, 5-2, at the Littlewood Classic in Tempe. Sarah Gutknecht hit a solo home run, her first of the year, and Lindsey Besson had an RBI single for the Spartans (4-3).

A pair of errors in MSU's defensive half of the first led to an early 2-0 lead for the home team, and a pair of extra-base hits for the Sun Devils in the third inning was capped by a three-run homer to give ASU all the offense it would need. That's not to diminish the strong outing by Goranson, who scattered six hits and allowed just two baserunners after the third inning. Arizona State's relief pitcher Breanna Macha earned the save by shutting the door on the Spartan offensive efforts, getting three straight outs in the fifth after MSU put its two leadoff batters on base.

The Sun Devils improve to 7-1 on the season. MSU faces Memphis and Northern Iowa on Saturday as the Littlewood Classic continues.

QUOTABLE
"We needed to see a strong effort in the circle, and Dani delivered that and then some tonight. Unfortunately, we ran into a pair of pitchers who did the same for Arizona State. Again, it's all phases of the game that need to come together for us - we had a few baserunners we left out there. We'll continue to work on capitalizing on our opportunities, and thankfully we can get right back at it tomorrow with two more games."

-- Head Coach Jacquie Joseph

TOP PERFORMERS

Dani Goranson earned her third start of the season, and had a very strong outing - she allowed just one hit and two baserunners after the third inning. She scattered six hits and allowed just three earned runs in a complete game effort. She did not allow more than one hit to any Sun Devil hitter.

Sarah Gutknecht went 2-for-3 on the night, and delivered a solo home run in the top of the second inning, the first of the season for the first baseman and the 15th of her career.

Lindsey Besson had an RBI single in the fourth, and both Lea Foerster and Ebonee Echols had a hit.

STATS AND STORYLINES

MSU started the defensive half of the first strong, turning a double play after a throwing error allowed the leadoff hitter, Jennifer Soria, on base. Another error put Katee Aguirre at first, and Chelsea Gonzales made sure MSU paid a steep price, launching a home run over the left field wall for a 2-0 ASU lead.

Sarah Gutknecht's second-inning solo homer was the 15th of her career, moving her into a tie for ninth all-time with Patti Raduenz and classmate Kassidy Kujawa. Kujawa hit her 15th in the first game of the day vs Northern Iowa.

A one-out double by Aguirre and a walk to Chelsea Gonzales started a Sun Devil rally in the third. The Spartans got the second out on a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning, but Nikki Girard went deep to left to make it 5-1 for the home team.

Back-to-back singles by Lea Foerster and Sarah Gutknecht with one out in the fourth gave MSU hopes for a rally. Lindsey Besson followed with a single into left center, plating Foerster before Gutknecht was gunned down at the plate.

Kessler was replaced in the circle by Breanna Macha in the circle in the fifth. She struck out two of three batters in the fifth, but saw the Spartans put the first two runners on base in the sixth, as Echols legged out a single and Long reached on a fielder's choice, with Echols safe at second on a throwing error. Foerster sacrificed the runners over to second and third, but Gutknecht (fouled out) and Besson (grounder to third) ended the inning with the two runners stranded in scoring position.