Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
16-13, 0-1
Wisconsin
15-11, 1-0
Spartans Fall in Home Opener to Wisconsin
3/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
Wisconsin scored all of its runs in a 10-run fourth inning, and the Spartans dropped their home opener to the Badgers, 10-1 in five innings. MSU falls to 16-13 on the year in dropping its home opener.
MSU and Wisconsin will play a doubleheader on Saturday with a 1 pm start.
QUOTABLE
"We have played 28 games and never looked like we did today. It was a game where we were out of sorts and out of character all day. Wisconsin capitalized on every oppotunity that we gave them in the fourth inning, and we just didn't. Its going to have to be a much better effort in the games tomorrow. It was a really disappointing way to come out in our home opener."
- Head Coach Jacquie Joseph
TOP PERFORMERS
- Sarah Gutknecht went 1-for-2 with an RBI double.
- Ebonee Echols went 1-for-2 and scored MSU's lone run.
- Kristina Zalewski started the game and took the loss (6-8). She tossed three innings and struck out six, allowing just one hit. Zalewski hit a batter and walked one in the top of the fourth before exiting. Dani Goranson threw two innings in relief, surrendering seven runs on six hits.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- With two on and one out in the bottom of the first, Sarah Gutknecht smacked a double- her team-leading seventh of the season - to bring home Ebonee Echols for a 1-0 lead.
- The Badgers broke through in the top of the fourth, loading the bases without a hit and then proceeded to plate six runs on five singles and a fielder's choice - all without an out. The ninth batter of the inning, Chloe Miller, was the first out of the inning with a fly ball to left, a sac fly that made it 7-1. Sarah Novak singled to center to plate the eighth run, and Samantha Arentz clocked one over the wall just inside the foul pole in left to make it 10-1. The Spartans got the final two outs without any other damage, but had built a large margin to try to overcome.
- The Spartans got something going in the bottom of the fifth, as pinch hitter Kassidy Kujawa led off with a single to center - but Lexi White grounded into a double play to eliminate runners from the basepaths. Lea Foerster grounded out for the final out of the game.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kirsten Stevens (6-4)
L: Zalewski, Kristina (6-8)
Batting:
HR: Samantha Arents 1
RBI: Ashley Van Zeeland 1 ; Kelsey Jenkins 2 ; Chloe Miller 1 ; Sara Novak 1 ; Samantha Arents 2 ; Kelly Welsh 1 ; Brooke Mann 1 ; Macy Oswald 1
SH: Ashley Van Zeeland 1
SF: Chloe Miller 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ashley Van Zeeland 1 ; Kelsey Jenkins 1 ; Sara Novak 1 ; Brianna Flugaur 1 ; Samantha Arents 2 ; Melanie Cross 1 ; Kelly Welsh 1 ; Gabby Scherle 1 ; Macy Oswald 1
SB: Kelsey Jenkins 1
HBP: Macy Oswald 1
Batting:
2B: Gutknecht, Sarah 1
RBI: Gutknecht, Sarah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Echols, Ebonee 1
CS: Wood, Celeste 1
HBP: Foerster, Lea 1
