MSU Sweeps DH With Extra-Inning Victory over Maryland

Friday, May 4

College Park, MD

6:00 PM

Michigan State University

23-25, 0

Maryland

18-35, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Michigan State	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	3	6	15	4
Maryland	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	2	5	8	0

5/4/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

May 4, 2018

Box Score | PDF Box: MSU 6, Maryland 5 (9)

SPARTAN SYNOPSIS

Michigan State won its seventh game in its last eight tries, capturing a 6-5 victory in nine innings to complete a doubleheader sweep of host Maryland. The Spartans won the first game of the day, 7-4.

MSU improved to 23-25 on the year and is 9-12 in the Big Ten. Maryland falls to 18-35, 7-15 in Conference play.

Melanie Baccay came up with a bases-loaded double in the top of the ninth inning that plated two runs, and a ground ball RBI from McKenzie Long made it a three-run inning. The Spartans would need every one of those runs, as the Terps got a bases-loaded single by Kassidy Cross in the home half of the ninth to trim the MSU lead down to 6-5. After a rain delay, Zalewski shut down the Terps offense, walking Anna Kufta before getting Bridgette Nordberg to ground into a fielder's choice that got the tying run out at the plate, and then a fly ball to right ended the game.

Bridgette Rainey came on with one out in the bottom of the fourth and went 4.2 innings, surrendering just three hits and striking out five. Kristina Zalewski, who went 3.1 innings as the game starter, re-entered in the top of the ninth with one on and none out, and worked out of a jam to earn her first save of the season, which was also the 12th in her career, tying the school record for career saves (Erica Strutz, 1997-2000). It was the first save of the season for MSU, which has gotten 24 complete games from its pitching staff.

The teams played a doubleheader (with extra innings in game two) on a day that reached 92 degrees and a rain shower forced a rain delay in the bottom of the ninth inning. Both teams responded with impressive fielding plays on both sides that kept the games close. The Spartans hammered out 15 hits in the nightcap, establishing a new season high. MSU also tied two other season highs, stranding 15 runners and committing four errors.

MSU chipped away at starter Sydney Golden, who surrendered 12 base hits, allowing single runs to the Spartans in the third, fifth, and seventh innings. Skylynne Ellazar, who had a triple earlier in the game, hit a three-run homer off Rainey in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game to extra frames.

The teams will play the third and final game of the series on Saturday at 1 pm.

TOP PERFORMERS

McKenzie Long was 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.

Bridgette Rainey threw 4.2 innings of relief work to earn the victory, striking out five and scattering three hits.

Katie Quinlan was 3-for-3

Melanie Baccay had a two-RBI double in the top of the ninth inning, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.

QUOTABLE
"It was a long day with less-than-ideal conditions, but I am so proud that we held our composure and never, ever quit. We had plenty of baserunners in the extra innings, and we finally put it away. Our pitchers really, really did a nice job today. We've been playing some of our best ball over the last two weeks, and its nice to see our players get rewarded. Everyone stepped up. We have one more regular-season game, and I'd like to see that same execution, that same never-say-die attitude as we wrap up the regular season."

Head Coach Jacquie Joseph

STATS AND STORYLINES

MIchigan State threatened for the first time in the top of the third when Melanie Baccay led off the inning with a single to right and Lea Foerster followed with a double - her 21st of the season. A long sac fly to center by McKenzie Long scored Baccay from third to put the Spartans on the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the fourth, Zalewski got the first out of the inning on a liner to first. She was then relieved by Bridgette Rainey, who struck out the first batter she faced.

MSU got on the board again in the top of the fifth. Long and Paxson both singled, and Kaitlyn Eveland smacked an RBI double to the wall in center to score Long. Golden walked Echols to load the bases, but the Spartans were retired before they could get another run across the plate.

In the bottom of the fifth, Rainey got the first two outs on an infield popup and a strikeout, but Skylynne Ellazar tripled to put a runner in scoring position. Pinch hitter Sammie Stefan came to the plate with an eye on bringing home Ellazar from third, but Rainey got her to go down swinging to preserve the shutout.

An error in the bottom of the sixth allowed Brigette Nordberg to reach base, and she went to second on the play. She moved to third on a foul out to right field by Hannah Eslick, and Amanda Brashear popped out to end the inning, leaving Nordberg on third.

The Spartans added some insurance in the seventh. Riley Paxson reached on a fielder's choice, which was the second out of the inning. Kaitlyn Eveland singled and Ebonee Echols walked, and an infield single by Katie Quinlan brought a third run across.

The Terps benefitted from a pair of Spartan errors on the first two batters of the home half, giving Maryland two on with none out. Rainey struck out No. 9 hitter Destiney Henderson, but Skylynne Ellazar sent the first pitch she saw over the wall in right field to tie the game. It was just the second hit that Rainey had surrendered in the game.

In the top of the eighth,the Terps went back to game one starter Ryan Denhart in the circle. Both Foerster and Long legged out one-out infield singles, and on a 3-2 pitch to Caitie Ladd, Denhart was called for an illegal pitch to load the bases. She worked out of the jam with a ground-ball out to keep the game tied.

Denhart walked Echols to start off the top of the ninth and allowed a single to Katie Quinlan, at which point the Terps went back to the starter Sydney Golden. She walked Lindsey Besson on four balls, then surrendered a double to Melanie Baccay that rode up the right-field line and scored both Echols and Quinlan to give the Spartans a 5-3 lead. With one out, Long grounded out to second, bringing home a third run in the inning.

In the home half of the ninth, a leadoff single by Boyd spelled the end of Rainey's outing. Zalewski re-entered as the rain started to come in, but got a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning, but then an error put a second runner on for the Terps. MSU opted to walk Ellazar to load the bases, and Cross delivered an RBI single to trim the MSU lead to 6-5. The rain came harder, causing a 15-minute delay in the game. When the game resumed, Anna Kufta walked to load the bases. Nordberg reached on a fielders choice, as Carrasco came home for the foreceout for the second out of the inning. A fly ball to right was corralled easily by Quinlan, and the Spartans took away the 6-5 extra-inning victory.