Michigan State University
31-22
No. 3 Ohio State
35-15
Spartan Rally Falls Short In Big Ten Semis
5/13/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score | PDF Box : OSU 4, MSU 3 
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
The Spartan softball team ran out late-inning magic in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, falling to No. 3 seed Ohio State 4-3 on Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor.
The Spartans stranded 14 runners in the game, stranding at least two in the first through sixth innings and twice leaving the bases loaded. The OSU pitchers - they went through three on the day - combined to walk six in that span, including surrendering seven base hits. In the seventh inning, Shelby McCombs worked a 1-2-3 inning when the Buckeyes needed it most, securing a spot in the Big Ten title game.
OSU got on the board in the first inning on a two-run homer by Lilli Piper, and a matching two-run homer by Emily Clark in the top of the sixth made it a 4-0 Buckeye advantage.
MSU rallied for three runs in the sixth inning. Lea Foerster's double brought home Melanie Baccay for the first run, and singles by Eveland and Echols brought home two more to make it a 4-3 game through six complete - but it was also one of two innings when the Spartans left three runners on base.
Lilli Piper went 3-for-4 in the game for the Buckeyes, the only OSU player with multiple hits on the day. Kaitlyn Eveland had a pair of base hits and walked twice for MSU.
Kaitlyn Eveland and Lea Foerster were selected to the All-Big Ten Tournament team. Foerster went 6-for-9 in the three Spartan games (four RBI), while Eveland was 4-for-7 with six RBI .
The Spartans (31-22) are a longshot to be selected to the NCAA tournament, but do have an opportunity to participate in the National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC), a second post-season tournament added for the 2017 season. Run by Triple Crown Sports, the NISC will be a 48-team tournament consisting of 32 automatic conference qualifiers who did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament in addition to 16 at-large selections. The NISC field will be announced late Sunday night, after the completion of the NCAA Softball selection show at 10 pm.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Kaitlyn Eveland went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and an RBI.
- Bridgette Rainey threw four innings of three-hit relief, striking out six and walking one.. Kristina Zalewski started and went four complete innings, recording three strikeouts and surrendering two runs. She took the loss (6-7).
QUOTABLE
"I'm incredibly disappointed in today's outcome - leaving 14 runners just shows that we couldn't finish today. I don't want to take a thing away from Ohio State - they executed and found a way to win the game, even when we had that many baserunners, and worked their way out of jams. On the opposite side of the coin, this team is one I am incredibly proud to see the way they competed and fought. We have been a work in progress, and continue to be a work in progress. They should be very proud of the season we have had so far. We know that there's an opportunity for us to play in the postseason next week, and we will look forward to that as we look to take yet another step.
Head Coach Jacquie Joseph
STATS AND STORYLINES
- Lilli Piper hit a two-run homer with one out in the top of the first inning, her third homer against the Spartans this season.
- Lea Foerster led off the top of the first with a 14-pitch at bat, grounding out on a hard shot to second. McKenzie Long doubled into shallow left to give MSU its first baserunner and Kaitlyn Eveland walked to put two on for Kelcey Carrasco. The Spartans stranded both runners, after Kelcey Carrasco's hard-hit ball to left was caught on a nice play on the line by Bri Betchel, and Sarah Gutknecht grounded out.
- MSU tried to get something going in the bottom of the second with two outs. Lindsey Besson was hit by a pitch, and Melanie Baccay singled into left field to put two runners on for the top of the order. Hursh retired Foerster on a fly ball to left center to end the inning.
- In the top of the third, Alex Bayne smoked a shot to right field that Lexi White lost in the sun. As the ball rolled into the corner, Bayne tried for the inside-the-park home run; Melanie Baccay turned the perfect relay throw back to the plate, and Besson tagged her out for the second out of the inning. Piper followed with a single through the right side, but a nice grab by Lea Foerster in right center ended the inning.
- MSU started off the third inning with a walk of McKenzie Long and a single by Kaitlyn Eveland, which forced a pitching change. Elise Ray came on for the Buckeyes and got two straight fielder's choice, and a great defensive play by second baseman Emily Clark got the Buckeyes out of the inning.
- Zalewski went three innings, striking out four and only allowing the two-run homer in the first inning. Bridgette Rainey came on in the fourth and struck out two in her first inning of work, stranding a runner at third. In the bottom of the frame, Lindsey Besson reached on a one-out error and took second. Pinch runner Valerie Kaff went to third on a close call at first for Melanie Baccay, who looked like she beat the throw but was called out. Lea Foerster was hit to put runners at the corners, but Ray enticed Long into a groundout.
- After Rainey retired the side in order in the top of the fifth, MSU loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning - Eveland and Lexi White each walked, sandwiched around a base hit by Sarah Gutknecht. A fielder's choice nabbed Eveland at home for the second out, and an infield grounder retired the Spartans with the bases loaded.
- Piper led off the visiting half of the sixth with a single to center, the first base hit surrendered by Rainey since entering in the top of the fourth. Emily Clark followed with a home run to left center to double the Buckeye lead, 4-0.
- The Spartans, looking to once again channel some of their late-inning magic, got some help in the early part of the sixth as leadoff hitter Melanie Baccay reached on an error and went to second. Lea Foerster doubled into the left field corner to score Baccay. After Ray walked Long to put a second runner on, the Buckeyes made another pitching change, going to junior Shelby McCombs. The third pitch to Eveland was redirected hard back up the middle into center field, scoring Foerster to make it 4-2. The Buckeyes got the next two outs on a fly ball and groundout, but it moved the runners into scoring position for Lexi White. who was walked to load the bases. Ebonee Echols laced a single through the left side to score a run and cut the deficit to a single run. Lindsey Besson worked a full count
- OSU looked for insurance in the seventh inning, Betchel legged out an infield single to short, and pinch hitter Alex Vargas drew a walk to put two on with one out. Bayne stepped in with a huge opportunity, Rainey got her to go down swinging for the second out of the inning, and Piper - who was already 3-for-3 on the day - stepped to the plate. Rainey got her to ground out to short to strand two runners.
- Shelby McCombs earned the save for the Buckeyes, sending down the Spartans in order in the seventh inning.
- Lea Foerster's double in the sixth was her 24th of the season.
- MSU played its 15th one-run game of the season and holds a 7-8 record in those games.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ray, Morgan (6-4)
L: Zalewski, Kristina (6-7)
S: McCombs, Shelby (2)
Batting:
3B: Bayne, Alex 1
HR: Piper, Lilli 1 ; Clark, Emily 1
RBI: Piper, Lilli 2 ; Clark, Emily 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Kirk, Anna 1 ; Piper, Lilli 2 ; Clark, Emily 1
SB: White, Taylor 1
HBP: Kirk, Anna 1
Batting:
2B: Foerster, Lea 1 ; Long, McKenzie 1
RBI: Foerster, Lea 1 ; Eveland, Kaitlyn 1 ; Echols, Ebonee 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Foerster, Lea 1 ; Long, McKenzie 1 ; Baccay, Melanie 1
HBP: Foerster, Lea 1 ; Besson, Lindsey 1
