Michigan State University
5-2
Southern Illinois
6-3
Spartans Fall to Salukis, 4-2
2/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
Sophomore Brianna Jones stymied the Spartan bats for six innings on Saturday morning, helping her Southern Illinois team post a 4-2 victory over MSU. Jones tossed seven innings of four-hit ball, striking out five. Ebonee Echols had an RBI single in the seventh that brought MSU within a pair, but the Spartans stranded a pair on the basepaths in the final frame.
Bridgette Rainey struck out six in 4.1 innings of work, allowing just one hit and a pair of earned runs. Jordan Watson went the balance of the game, scattering six hits and allowing the other two runs. The four MSU hits were spread throuout the lineup, as Lea Foerster smacked her fifth double of the season and Sarah Gutknecht, Kaitlyn Eveland, and Echols had the other base hits.
MSU takes on North Dakota in its second game of the day.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Ebonee Echols had a two-RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning.
- Lea Foerster hit her fifth double of the season. She finished the game 1-for-3
- Bridgette Rainey walked three and struck out six in 4.1 innings of work. She allowed just one hit and gave up two earned runs.
- Jordan Watson tossed 2.2 innings in relief, scattering six hits after the rain began in the fifth inning.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- There was no scoring for either team until the top of the fifth. Rainey walked the first two batters and then got the first out of the inning on a sac bunt. The Spartans made a pitching change and brought in the freshman Watson, and the Salukis greeted her with a double to center that scored two. Two more runs came across the plate in that fifth inning, putting MSU in a 4-0 hole.
- The Spartans rallied in the bottom of the seventh. MSU loaded the bases, and Echols brought home a pair with a single to right,
- Saluki starter Brianna Jones held MSU to four hits, striking out five The sophomore was one of 10 finalists for National Freshman of the Year honors in 2016.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jones,Brianna (3-2)
L: Watson, Jordan (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Patterson,Merri Ann 1
RBI: Patterson,Merri Ann 2 ; Vermejan, Ma 2
SH: Brandenburg,Eyrika 1 ; Harre,Shaye 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Baranski,Sus 1 ; Andrus, Hale 1 ; Jones,Sydney 1 ; Fisher,Savannah 1
SB: Baranski,Sus 1 ; Turner, Brit 1
HBP: Andrus, Hale 1
Batting:
2B: Foerster, Lea 1
RBI: Echols, Ebonee 2
SH: Long, McKenzie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wood, Celeste 1 ; Eveland, Kaitlyn 1
