Michigan State University
14-4
Georgia State
13-9
Spartans Win at Georgia State, 5-2
3/9/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score | PDF Box Score: MSU 5, GSU 2 
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
For the second day in a row, Michigan State used multiple home runs to fuel its offense and posted a 5-2 victory over Georgia State in Decatur, Georgia on Thursday. Both Ebonee Echols and McKenzie Long hit shots over the wall, while Kristina Zalewki earned her first victory of the season with a four-inning effort in the circle, surrendering just two base hits.
Echols' homer capped three consecutive hits in the third inning, with Melanie Baccay and Lea Foerster recording back-to-back singles. Long hit hers in the top of the fifth, and MSU's other run came on an RBI single by Besson after Long reached on a bunt single.
Melanie Baccay and Celeste Wood each had two hits on the afternoon for the Spartans.
Zalewski earned her first win of the season, allowing just two base hits, walking two and striking out one in her longest outing of 2017. Jordan Watson picked up her first career save, relieving Zalewski in the top of the fifth and going the rest of the way - she struck out three and allowed GSU's two runs. Watson worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh.
The Spartans will play a five-game tournament at Kennesaw State beginning Friday afternoon. The Spartans take on ETSU at 3 pm and host Kennesaw at 5:30.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Kristina Zalewski got the start and threw two innings, striking out one and allowing two hits.
- Ebonee Echols hit a three-run homer in the third inning, her third home run of the year.
- McKenzie Long had a pair of hits, including a solo homer in the fifth.
QUOTABLE:
"We're continuing to improve every day, which is the goal - its a long season, and its about recovering from a bad game, fighting through a small slump, or whatever. We like the battle that we're seeing in our team - its about the next pitch, the next at-bat, and focusing on the important things that we need to do every day to maintain what we've worked really hard to build. We were disappointed after last weekend, but I like the way that we approached the games yesterday and today. We'll look to continue that this weekend for our final games remaining in spring break."
- Head Coach Jacquie Joseph
STATS AND STORYLINES
- Michigan State got things going in the top of the third. Melanie Baccay led off with a bunt single, and Lea Foerster singled to left to move her over to second. Ebonee Echols stepped in and sent a shot over the wall in left, her third home run of the year, for a 3-0 lead.
- A walk and a pair of hits loaded the bases for the Panthers in the bottom of the third, but Gutknecht snared a line drive from the bat of their Ivie Drake to end the inning.
- In the top of the fourth, McKenzie Long legged out a bunt single with one out, and stole second. She came home on an RBI single up the middle by Lindsey Besson.
- Long hit a one-out home run over the wall in deep center in the top of the sixth, her first home run of the season.
- Georgia State ended the shutout in the top of the sixth. Kirsten McMonigle led off with a triple to the gap in left center. Megan Litumbe reached on a fielder's choice, but Ivie Drake hit into a double play to extinguish the baserunners as McMonigle crossed the plate to make it 5-1. Kensey Caldwell popped up to second to end the inning.
- The Panthers attempted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, when Mandy Blackwell led off with a single. Watson struck out Reagan Morgan for the first out of the inning, but then walked Kylee Love and allowed a bloop single to pinch hitter Chaycie Goggins to load the bases. Leadoff Morgan Brown came to the plate but was sent down swinging by Watson for the second out of the inning, McMonigle, who tripled in the sixth, came up with the bases loaded, and she worked a full-count walk to force in the second run of the game. Megan Luitumbe popped up to second to end the game.
- MSU had its eighth multiple-homer game of the season. The Spartans hit four in Wednesday's game at Georgia Tech, a season high.
- Melanie Baccay and Celeste Wood each had a pair of hits in the game.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Zalewski, Kristina (1-0)
L: Chance, A. (4-3)
S: Watson, Jordan (1)
Batting:
HR: Echols, Ebonee 1 ; Long, McKenzie 1
RBI: Echols, Ebonee 3 ; Long, McKenzie 1 ; Besson, Lindsey 1
SH: Echols, Ebonee 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Foerster, Lea 1 ; Echols, Ebonee 1 ; Long, McKenzie 2 ; Baccay, Melanie 1
SB: Echols, Ebonee 1 ; Long, McKenzie 1
Batting:
3B: McMonigle, K 1
RBI: McMonigle, K 1 ; Drake, Ivie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McMonigle, K 1 ; Koepke, M. 1
