Saturday, February 9
Miami, Fla.
2:30 PM ET
Michigan State University
3-1
11
vs
6
Memphis
1-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Michigan State
5
0
0
4
0
0
2
11
11
1
Memphis
2
0
0
0
4
0
0
6
9
2
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Watson, Jordan (1-0)
L: NICHOLS, Mariah (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Echols, Charla 1 ; Meech, Mackenzie 2 ; Echols, Ebonee 1
RBI: Echols, Charla 2 ; Eveland, Kaitlyn 2 ; Ladd, Caitie 1 ; Meech, Mackenzie 4 ; Echols, Ebonee 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Quinlan, Katie 2 ; Echols, Charla 2 ; Eveland, Kaitlyn 1 ; Ladd, Caitie 2 ; Callahan, Summer 1 ; Meech, Mackenzie 1 ; Baccay, Melanie 1 ; Joseph, Abby 1
SB: Eveland, Kaitlyn 1
Batting:
2B: MORTON, Gracie 2
HR: HADLEY, Regan 1
RBI: HADLEY, Regan 5
SF: HADLEY, Regan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SMITH, Delaney 1 ; SMITH, Baylee 1 ; MORTON, Gracie 2 ; THREATT, Ashley 1 ; HADLEY, Regan 1
HBP: THREATT, Ashley 1
PO: IBISON, Samantha 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
4
Players Mentioned
2B
/ SoftballC/3B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball
SS/UTL
/ Softball
2B/UTL
/ Softball1B/UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
Photo by: Rey Del Rio/MSU Athletic Communications
Spartans Blitz Memphis, 11-6
2/9/2019 8:43:00 PM | Softball
Meech smacks two doubles and adds four RBI
SPARTAN SYNOPSISÂ Â Â
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Michigan State improved to 3-1 on the season with an 11-6 victory over Memphis on Saturday in Miami at the FIU Felsburg Invitational.Â
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MacKenzie Meech had a pair of doubles and four RBI to lead the Spartan offense while senior Kaitlyn Eveland went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs. Both Charla and Ebonee Echols also had doubles for the Spartans in the contest.Â
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The teams each had big innings – a five-run first and four-run fourth for the Spartans, and a four-run explosion for the Tigers in the bottom of the fifth. MSU held a 9-2 lead before a grand slam by Regan Hadley that brought Memphis within three runs. MSU loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, and plated two runs in the seventh.Â
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Jordan Watson threw 4.1 innings and left with the bases loaded, scattering seven hits and walking one while being charged with five runs (two earned). Leah Shipp came on in relief and despite giving up the grand slam, she closed out her outing (2.2 innings) and surrendered just one more hit and struck out one.Â
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Delaney Smith and Gracie Morton each went 2-for-4 for the Tigers, who used four pitchers.Â
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MSU totaled 11 hits on the day and worked the Memphis pitchers for seven walks.Â
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The Spartans wrap up the FIU Felsburg Tournament on Sunday with another game against Memphis.
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 QUOTABLEÂ
"Today was a really, really long day – a couple of weather delays pushed our games about three hours past when we were scheduled to play, and then we played a three-hour game with Memphis. We're in the first weekend and getting re-adjusted to gameday  - trying to get our veterans back in the groove and our new players acclimated, and it's really hard to do that in a day like this. We weathered the storms (both figuratively and literally) and came away with two wins. We saw some more out of our offense and saw our pitchers take more steps forward. I'm proud of our players and the way they handled today and put together the wins." Â
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 TOP PERFORMERSÂ
•  Kaitlyn Eveland went 3-5 with a pair of RBI. .Â
•  MacKenzie Meech went 2-5 and brought home four RBI, smacking a pair of doubles.  Â
•  Jordan Watson earned the start and the win, scattering seven hits over 4.1 innings. Leah Shipp came on in relief and
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 STATS AND STORYLINESÂ
•  MSU got off to a fast start against the Tigers, using a walk to Katie Quinlan and three straight singles by Charla Echols, Kaitlyn Eveland, and Caitie Ladd to take a 2-0 lead with no outs. Meech reached on a fielder's choice to plate Eveland without an out being recorded, and Ebonee Echols followed with a double up the middle to increase the lead to 5-0. The Tigers made a pitching change, bringing on pitcher Kailey Hilderbrand; she got the next three batters to keep it a five-run game.Â
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•  Memphis came right back in the bottom of the first. A leadoff single by Delaney Smith and one-out double from Gracie Morton put a pair of runners on base, and Smith came home on a passed ball. A long fly ball to center allowed Morton to come home on the second out of the inning.Â
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•  The Spartans exploded for another four runs in the fourth inning. Melanie Baccay and Laney Joyner reached on a walk and an error, respectively; Katie Quinlan reached on a fielder's choice, as the catcher threw to third to keep the run from scoring to load the bases. Charla Echols drove home two runs with a double to un-load the bases, and Meech smacked a two-run double off the wall in left center with two outs to push the Spartan advantage out to 9-2.  Â
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•  In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers posed a threat with two in scoring position. An error on Delaney Smith's ground ball allowed her to reach from the leadoff position, and a Morton double sent her to third with one out. Ashley Threatt was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Joseph went to the bullpen to bring on Leah Shipp. Shipp faced Regan Hadley and gave up a homer to right center, bringing the Tigers within three, 9-6.Â
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•  MSU loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, as two different Memphis batters dished out three walks and a fielder's choice. The Spartans couldn't capitalize, however, stranding all three runners.Â
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•  Quinlan reached on a leadoff hit and advanced to second on an error, and went to third on a ground out by Charla Echols in the top of the seventh. Eveland brought home Quinlan with a single up the middle, but was out at second on a fielder's choice from Ladd. Meech followed with a double to right center to bring home Ladd to make it 11-6.Â
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Michigan State improved to 3-1 on the season with an 11-6 victory over Memphis on Saturday in Miami at the FIU Felsburg Invitational.Â
Â
MacKenzie Meech had a pair of doubles and four RBI to lead the Spartan offense while senior Kaitlyn Eveland went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs. Both Charla and Ebonee Echols also had doubles for the Spartans in the contest.Â
Â
The teams each had big innings – a five-run first and four-run fourth for the Spartans, and a four-run explosion for the Tigers in the bottom of the fifth. MSU held a 9-2 lead before a grand slam by Regan Hadley that brought Memphis within three runs. MSU loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, and plated two runs in the seventh.Â
Â
Jordan Watson threw 4.1 innings and left with the bases loaded, scattering seven hits and walking one while being charged with five runs (two earned). Leah Shipp came on in relief and despite giving up the grand slam, she closed out her outing (2.2 innings) and surrendered just one more hit and struck out one.Â
Â
Delaney Smith and Gracie Morton each went 2-for-4 for the Tigers, who used four pitchers.Â
Â
MSU totaled 11 hits on the day and worked the Memphis pitchers for seven walks.Â
Â
The Spartans wrap up the FIU Felsburg Tournament on Sunday with another game against Memphis.
Â
 QUOTABLEÂ
"Today was a really, really long day – a couple of weather delays pushed our games about three hours past when we were scheduled to play, and then we played a three-hour game with Memphis. We're in the first weekend and getting re-adjusted to gameday  - trying to get our veterans back in the groove and our new players acclimated, and it's really hard to do that in a day like this. We weathered the storms (both figuratively and literally) and came away with two wins. We saw some more out of our offense and saw our pitchers take more steps forward. I'm proud of our players and the way they handled today and put together the wins." Â
Â
- Head Coach Jacquie Joseph
 TOP PERFORMERSÂ
•  Kaitlyn Eveland went 3-5 with a pair of RBI. .Â
•  MacKenzie Meech went 2-5 and brought home four RBI, smacking a pair of doubles.  Â
•  Jordan Watson earned the start and the win, scattering seven hits over 4.1 innings. Leah Shipp came on in relief and
Â
 STATS AND STORYLINESÂ
•  MSU got off to a fast start against the Tigers, using a walk to Katie Quinlan and three straight singles by Charla Echols, Kaitlyn Eveland, and Caitie Ladd to take a 2-0 lead with no outs. Meech reached on a fielder's choice to plate Eveland without an out being recorded, and Ebonee Echols followed with a double up the middle to increase the lead to 5-0. The Tigers made a pitching change, bringing on pitcher Kailey Hilderbrand; she got the next three batters to keep it a five-run game.Â
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•  Memphis came right back in the bottom of the first. A leadoff single by Delaney Smith and one-out double from Gracie Morton put a pair of runners on base, and Smith came home on a passed ball. A long fly ball to center allowed Morton to come home on the second out of the inning.Â
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•  The Spartans exploded for another four runs in the fourth inning. Melanie Baccay and Laney Joyner reached on a walk and an error, respectively; Katie Quinlan reached on a fielder's choice, as the catcher threw to third to keep the run from scoring to load the bases. Charla Echols drove home two runs with a double to un-load the bases, and Meech smacked a two-run double off the wall in left center with two outs to push the Spartan advantage out to 9-2.  Â
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•  In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers posed a threat with two in scoring position. An error on Delaney Smith's ground ball allowed her to reach from the leadoff position, and a Morton double sent her to third with one out. Ashley Threatt was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Joseph went to the bullpen to bring on Leah Shipp. Shipp faced Regan Hadley and gave up a homer to right center, bringing the Tigers within three, 9-6.Â
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•  MSU loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, as two different Memphis batters dished out three walks and a fielder's choice. The Spartans couldn't capitalize, however, stranding all three runners.Â
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•  Quinlan reached on a leadoff hit and advanced to second on an error, and went to third on a ground out by Charla Echols in the top of the seventh. Eveland brought home Quinlan with a single up the middle, but was out at second on a fielder's choice from Ladd. Meech followed with a double to right center to bring home Ladd to make it 11-6.Â
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A Road Less Traveled | Spartans All-Access
Thursday, April 17
A Higher Standard | Spartans All-Access
Tuesday, February 11
Spartans All-Access: Jenae Wash
Thursday, April 11
Spartans All-Access: Coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley
Thursday, April 20