MSU Falls at South Carolina, 5-1

Friday, February 16

Columbia, SC

5:00 PM

Michigan State University

2-5

South Carolina

6-1

Michigan State

South Carolina

2/16/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Feb. 16, 2018

Box Score | PDF Box: South Carolina 5, MSU 1

SPARTAN SYNOPSIS

Michigan State dropped its third straight game, a 5-1 decision to South Carolina on Friday in Columbia.

The Spartans (2-5) scored in the top of the first inning, but the Gamecocks thwarted several attempts at an MSU rally in later innings by turning three double plays in the game.

Both Lea Foerster and Ebonee Echols had a pair of base hits in the game, with Lexi White driving in Foerster to open the scoring. A three-run first (helpd by an MSU wild pitch and an error) allowed the home team to take the lead for good, and a two-run homer by Mackenzie Boesel in the fifth gave South Carolina some insurance.

Bridgette Rainey got the start for MSU, going five innings and scattering three hits and three earned runs. Jordan Watson made the first relief appeareances for the pitching staff this season after opening with six straight complete games, and allowed two base hits and no runs in the bottom of the sixth.

MSU has just one game on Saturday's schedule at the Gamecock Invitational a 12:30 pm start vs. Mercer.

TOP PERFORMERS

Lea Foerster went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. She had three doubles between the two games on Friday.

Ebonee Echols went 2-for-3.

Bridgette Rainey scattered three base hits and allowed three earned runs in five innings of work, walking two and striking out two.

STATS AND STORYLINES

MSU got its bats going immediately in the top of the first, as Lea Foerster led off the game with a double to right center. After pitcher Cayla Drotar got a popup for the first out of the inning, Ebonee Echols and Lexi White strung together back-to-back singles that brought home Foerster for a 1-0 lead.

The Gamecocks countered in the first, gettign a leadoff single from Kenzie McGuire and a walk to Mackenzie Boesel to move McGuire to second. Rainey got the next two outs - a popup and a fly ball to center that moved both runners into scoring position, and a wild pitch scored Maguire to tie the game. Alyssa Kumiyama reached base on an error that brought home two runs, making it a 3-1 lead for the home team.

Pinch hitter Jordan Davis singled through the left side to lead off the fifth, and pinch runner Kelly Zackrison was moved to second on a sac bunt by Melanie Baccay. Zackrison stole third, bringing up the top of the order for the Spartans. Foerster had what looked like another base hit, but it was corralled in center field and zipped in to third base to double off Zackrison.

Rainey was settled in and had retired 11 straight batters through the first two batters in the bottom of the fifth. She gave up a two-out single to Maguire, and Boesel homered to left center for a 5-1 lead for the home team.

Pinch hitter Katie Quinlan walked to lead off the sixth, and Echols moved her to second with a single, her second hit of the night. Drotar flashed the leather to turn a double play, snagging a liner from the bat of Lexi White and doubling Echols off first.

The third double play of the game came in the top of the seventh for USC, after Riley Paxon was hit by a pitch to give MSU a baserunner. Besson grounded into a double play to end the game.