Michigan State University
12-3
Central Connecticut
0-5
MSU Rallies For Win Over CCSU, 11-5
3/5/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score | PDF Box Score: MSU 11, CCSU 5 
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
Michigan State rallied from an early three-run deficit to post an 11-5 victory over Central Connecticut on Sunday morning at the Georgia Bulldog Invitational. Jordan Watson improved to 5-1 by tossing 3.2 innings of one-hit relief, getting help from a five-run sixth inning for MSU that blew open a one-run game.
Senior Gutknecht was 2-for-3 to lead the offensive effort, ripping a three-run homer in the five-run sixth inning. Lea Foerster, McKenxie Long, Kelcey Carrasco, and Lindsey Besson all had two hits. Seven of MSU's 12 base hits on the day went for extra bases - four doubles, two triples, and a homer. The Spartans also swiped three bases on the afternoon.
The Spartans (12-3) have won seven of their last eight games, the lone hiccup a 4-3 loss to No. 16 Georgia on Saturday in walkoff fashion. MSU gets a rematch with the Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon to wrap up the Bulldog Invitational.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Jordan Watson tossed 3.2 innings of relief to earn her fifth victory of the season. She walked one and struck out one, allowing one hit and no runs. .
- Sarah Gutknecht went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a walk. .
- McKenzie Long had a triple and a single, with two RBI. Melanie Baccay also had two hits, including a two-RBI double. .
QUOTABLE:
"We got off to a pretty rough start today, having to make some lineup changes - but I liked how we self-corrected and got our bats going to earn the victory. We know that we've got players who can be flexible and versatile, which allows us to overcome a three-run deficit like we did today. Its a quick turnaround, so our sights are set on another showdown with Georgia ."
- Head Coach Jacquie Joseph
STATS AND STORYLINES
- The Spartans plated two runs in the bottom of the first. Trailing 1-0, Lea Foerster led off with a double, and moved to third on a single by McKenzie Long. The duo executed a double steal, with Long taking second as Foerster crossed the plate to knot the game at 1-1. Celeste Wood laid down a sac bunt to move Long to third, and she came home on a sac fly by Eveland for a 2-1 lead.
- Sarah Oglivie led off the top of the third with a solo homer, which tied the game. Starter Kristina Zalewski got the next batter to foul out but walked Emily Cronin, spelling the end of Zalewski's outing. She was replaced by Valerie Kaff, who gave up two base hits to the first two batters she faced to give CCSU back the lead, 3-2, but then got the second out of the inning on a ground ball. A walk and a second double of the inning (by Brittany McNulla) plated two more runs, and then Kaff got Kerry Dadalski to strike out to end the frame. Kaff got into trouble in the top of the fourth, and was replaced by Watson with two on and one out . Watson got two quick outs to end the Blue Devil threat.
- Gutknecht looked to get things going for MSU in the bottom of the fourth, doubling to right center. Pitcher Emily Sargent retired the next two Spartans, but Lindsey Besson kept things alive with a single through the left side. Melanie Baccay doubled to bring home both runners, cutting the Spartan deficit to 5-4. Foerster singled to put the runners at the corners, and Long followed with a triple to right center to give MSU back the lead, 6-5.
- A one-out walk to Sarah Gutknecht and a two-out single by Kelcey Carrasco, followed by Lindsey Besson being hit by a pitch, loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth - but Sargent worked out of the jam to keep MSU off the board.
- Leading off the sixth, Foerster was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Long flew out and Wood walked to put a pair on the bases, but Sargent got Hendershott to pop up for the second out of the inning. Gutknecht stepped in and blew open the game with a three-run homer - her second of the season. That opened the floodgates, as Echols tripled and Carrasco followed with a single to bring another run home for a 10-5 advantage. Summer Callahan came in to run for Carrasco and promptly stole second, and she came home on a Besson double to right center.
- Kristina Zalewski was making her first start of the season after picking up a pair of saves in two relief appearances last week at Loyola Marymount.
- Echols hit her fifth triple of the season in the sixth inning. She had nine three-baggers as a freshman, and her 14 career triples is fourth all-time at MSU.
- Gutknecht's home run was the 21st of her career - she moves into a fifth-place tie with Kassidy Kujawa for fifth place in the Spartan record book,
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Watson, Jordan (5-1)
L: SARGENT (0-3)
Batting:
2B: DADALSKI 1 ; CONSTANTIN 1
HR: OGLIVIE 1
RBI: MCNULLA 2 ; OGLIVIE 2 ; CONSTANTIN 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DADALSKI 1 ; OGLIVIE 1 ; CRONIN 1 ; EDWARDS 1 ; ZADROZNY 1
SB: OGLIVIE 1 ; CAMARA 1
Batting:
2B: Foerster, Lea 1 ; Gutknecht, Sarah 1 ; Besson, Lindsey 1 ; Baccay, Melanie 1
3B: Long, McKenzie 1 ; Echols, Ebonee 1
HR: Gutknecht, Sarah 1
RBI: Long, McKenzie 2 ; Eveland, Kaitlyn 1 ; Gutknecht, Sarah 3 ; Carrasco, Kelcey 1 ; Besson, Lindsey 1 ; Baccay, Melanie 2
SH: Long, McKenzie 1 ; Wood, Celeste 1
SF: Eveland, Kaitlyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Foerster, Lea 3 ; Long, McKenzie 1 ; Wood, Celeste 1 ; Gutknecht, Sarah 2 ; Echols, Ebonee 1 ; Callahan, Summer 1 ; Zackrison, Kelly 1 ; Baccay, Melanie 1
SB: Foerster, Lea 1 ; Long, McKenzie 1 ; Callahan, Summer 1
HBP: Foerster, Lea 2 ; Besson, Lindsey 2
