Michigan State University
2-4
Georgetown
2-4
MSU Falls in Ninth, 4-3, to Georgetown
2/16/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score | PDF BOX: Georgetown 4, MSU 3 (9) 
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
Michigan State fell to Georgetown, 4-3 in nine innings, on Friday to open the Gamecock Invitational.
The Spartans had rallied to take the lead in the top of the ninth on a double by Lea Foerster and RBI single by McKenzie Long, but the Hoyas rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth. A one-out single by Sera Stevens was followed by an RBI triple from Nene Campos, which plated the tying run. Pitcher Kristina Zalewski got the second out of the inning, but an infield error allowed Campos to score from third for the 4-3 win.
Zalewski became the hard-luck loser for the third consecutive game. The redshirt senior struck out a career-best 13 batters in the game, allowing two extra-base hits among the nine she scattered through 8.2 innings. The Spartans have scored just three runs in her three complete games this season (21.2 innings pitched), where she has allowed just four earned runs and one walk for a 1.29 ERA.
Three Hoya baseknocks came in the fourth inning, (two singles and a double), and that tied the game after doubles by McKenzie Long, Ebonee Echols, and Lexi White had given the Spartans a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Michigan State stranded eight batters on the day, and committed four errors.
Michigan State played its first extra-inning game in the 2018 season. MSU earned a walkoff win in the bottom of the seventh inning vs. Northern Illinois last weekend, now was on the receiving end of a walkoff loss in its sixth game of the season.
MSU has a second Friday game, against host South Carolina at 5 pm on Friday afternoon.
TOP PERFORMERS
- McKenzie Long went 2-for-5 with an RBI
- Lea Foerster became MSU's all-time leader in extra-base hits with two doubles in the game.
- Freshman Caitie Ladd had a pair of base hits.
- Kristina Zalewski established career highs in innings pitched (8.2) and strikeouts (13), scattering nine hits and walking just one.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- MSU got a pair of uns on the board as it put together three doubles to plate a pair of runs, with McKenzie Long, Ebonee Echols, and Lexi White picking up the extra-base hits. With White on second and two outs, pitcher Anna Brooks Pacha walked both Caitie Ladd and Laney Joyner, but worked out of the bases-loaded jam to limit the damage.
- The Hoyas tied it up in the bottom of the fourth. Mallory Bellknap reached on an infield single, and two batters later, Savannah Jones followed with a second. Zalewski picked up her second strikeout of the inning to make it two outs, but Kelly Amen came to the plate and doubled to left, scoring Bellknap and Jones to tie the game at 2-2.
- In the bottom of the seventh, the Hoyas staged a two-out rally. Zalewski got the first two outs of the inning on popups, then walked Nene Campos to give Georgetown a baserunner. Theresa Kane singled through the left side to put a pair of runners on base, but Zalewski sent down Sarah Bennett swinging for her 10th strikeout of the game.
- The Spartans broke the stalemate in the top of the ninth inning. With two outs, Foerster smacked a double to left to put a runner on the board, and McKenzie Long brought her home with a single up the middle for a 3-2 lead.
- The Hoyas tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. A one-out single Stevens was followed by a triple by Campos. Zalewski got Kane to pop up to short for the second out of the inning, but an infield error allowed Sarah Bennett to reach first, and Campos scored the winning run.
- Lea Foerster became MSU's all-time leader in extra-base hits with her double in the top of the ninth inning, giving her 89 in her career. She tied Lindsey Hansen, the previous record holder, with her double in the 7th inning.
- Lindsey Besson threw out her fifth steal attempt of the season, one off her career best of six in 2016.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pacha, A. (1-0)
L: Zalewski, Kristina (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Foerster, Lea 2 ; Long, McKenzie 1 ; Echols, Ebonee 1 ; White, Lexi 1
RBI: Long, McKenzie 1 ; Echols, Ebonee 1 ; White, Lexi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Foerster, Lea 1 ; Long, McKenzie 1 ; Echols, Ebonee 1
Batting:
2B: Amen, K. 1
3B: Campos, N. 1
RBI: Bennett, S. 1 ; Amen, K. 2 ; Campos, N. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Belknap, M. 1 ; Jones, S. 1 ; Jones, R. 1 ; Campos, N. 1
CS: Kane, T. 1
