Spartans Drop 3-0 Decision to Duke In Season Opener

Friday, February 9

Boca Raton, FL

3:45 PM

Michigan State University

0-1

Duke

2-2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Duke	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	5	0
Michigan State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	2

2/9/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Feb. 9, 2018

Box Score

PDF Box: Duke 3, MSU 0

SPARTAN SYNOPSIS

Michigan State opened the 2018 season with a 3-0 loss to Duke in the Florida Atlantic University First Pitch Classic on Friday afternoon.

A three-run first inning for the Blue Devils would be all the offense they needed as the Spartans managed just four hits on the afternoon.

Duke was playing its fourth game of the weekend, while MSU appeared to have some first-game jitters early. An error and three base hits gave the Blue Devils the early lead.

Despite three base hits and the first-inning error, Kristina Zalewski had a strong first outing of the season. She tossed all five innings and only allowed two base hits after the first inning. She struck out one and didn't walk a batter. Duke starter Katherine Huey limited MSU to just four base hits on the day - all singles - and walked one, striking out three.

Lea Foerster, Ebonee Echols, Kaitlyn Eveland and Lindsey Besson each had one hit for MSU, and Echols added an impressive pair of defensive play in left field.

MSU plays host FAU at 7 pm to wrap the first day of tournament action

TOP PERFORMERS

Ebonee Echols went 1-for-3 and made two diving stops in left field, and also had a heads-up play that extinguished a runner trying to stretch a single into a double.
Kristina Zalewski tossed a complete game, allowing just two base hits after the first inning. She scattered five hits and allowed three first-inning runs.

STATS AND STORYLINES

Duke jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Spartans came out determined to cut into the early advantage. Lea Foerster led off her senior season with a single up the middle, and she moved to second and third on a ground ball by McKenzie Long and a fly ball to right by Kaitlyn Eveland.

The Spartans had baserunners in the first and second, but the first real threat came in the bottom of the fourth. Kaitlyn Eveland led off with a single up the middle, and Laney Joyner reached on an error to put a pair of runners on. Lexi White moved the runners into scoring position, and Echols followed with a ground ball - she reached on a fielder;s choice, but Eveland got caught in a rundown for the second out of the inning. Besson grounded out to short for the third out of the inning.