Friday, March 1
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
5:00 PM ET/ 4 PM CT
Michigan State University
4-11
1
at
2
Alabama
17-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Michigan State
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
5
1
Alabama
0
2
0
0
0
0
X
2
4
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fouts (7-0)
L: Watson, Jordan (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Echols, Charla 1
RBI: Echols, Charla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Joyner, Laney 1
Batting:
2B: Tow 2
RBI: Tow 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Schroder 1 ; M. Morgan 1
HBP: M. Morgan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
2B
/ SoftballC/3B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballSS/UTL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballDP
/ Softball
Pitcher's Duel Goes to No. 5 Alabama, 2-1
3/1/2019 8:43:00 PM | Softball
Gregory tosses four no-hit innings in relief
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
Michigan State and No. 5 Alabama engaged in a pitcher's duel on Friday night in Tuscaloosa, with freshman RHP Montana Fouts coming away with the 2-1 victory for the Crimson Tide. The game was part of the opening day action at Alabama's Easton Crimson Classic.
Michigan State out-hit their hosts by a 5-4 margin, but the story of the game was the young pitchers. Fouts tossed a complete game, striking out 11 and scattering just five hits. Sophomore McKenna Gregory came on in relief in the top of the third and threw four innings of no-hit ball, striking out two; starter junior Jordan Watson, who allowed two runs and four hits in the first two innings.
Gregory came on in the third as a planned sub after Watson went the first two frames – and then never relinquished the ball as she sent down the next 12 Crimson Tide batters in order. The home team entered the game with a 17-0 overall record and a .325 batting average, but couldn't get anything going off the Spartan sophomore.
Meanwhile, both Watson and Gregory got help from their defense – Ebonee Echols made a pair of impressive first-inning diving catches, the first doubling a runner off second for a double play. Kaitlyn Eveland also made a leaping catch in the third inning.
The game lasted just 1:42 with nine base hits between the teams. Charla Echols had two of those five base hits, including an RBI double in the third inning. Ebonee Echols, Lexi White, and Laney Joyner each had base hits for MSU (4-11). MSU left five runners compared to two for the hosts.
Kaylee Tow went 2-for-3 with both RBI for the Crimson tide, both hits going for doubles.
The two teams will meet again on Sunday afternoon to conclude the Easton Crimson Classic. Before that, the Spartans will play Saint Francis and Southern Miss on Saturday.
QUOTABLE
"While it will go down as a split of our games today, it was a really big day for us in the way we approached and executed in these two games. I liked the way we got going early against Saint Francis, and I was very proud of the way our team handled the atmosphere in a hostile environment when we took on Alabama. Each pitcher we threw today had a good outing, and over the two games, there was almost eight innings of no-hit ball between Alli Walker in the first game and McKenna Gregory in the second. Our hitters were patient and generated offense, and we got some clutch hits when we needed them. It is really a great way to start off the weekend, and hopefully a springboard for more consistency during this weeklong trip and going forward."
TOP PERFORMERS
• McKenna Gregory tossed four innings of no-hit relief, striking out two and throwing just 36 pitches.
• Charla Echols had an RBI double in the third inning and finished 2-for-3.
• Ebonee Echols made a pair of highlight-reel catches in left field and added a base hit.
STATS AND STORYLINES
• With MSU facing the potent Crimson Tide offense in the bottom of the first, Kaylee Tow led off the game with a double, and KB Sides followed with a fly ball down the left field line. Ebonee Echols made an impressive diving catch, then doubled Tow off second with an easy throw. The elder Echols also made an impressive diving catch for the third out.
• The Crimson Tide broke through in the bottom of the second off starter Jordan Watson. A leadoff single, hit batter, and two-out single loaded the bases for Tow, who sent the first pitch she saw into left field for a 2-0 lead for the home team. With two runners in scoring position, Watson got Sides to fly out to left to end the inning.
• Laney Joyner led off the third inning with a single up the middle, and Melanie Baccay moved her over to second. Charla Echols doubled into left center to plate Joyner to trim the Alabama lead to 2-1. Ebonee Echols followed with a single to left to put runners on the corners, but they were stranded.
• MSU's impressive defensive plays continued into the third. A leaping sno-cone catch by 3B Kaitlyn Eveland robbed Bailey Hemphill of a base hit to lead off the bottom of the inning. McKenna Gregory got DP Caroline Hardy to look at a called third strike for the second out and followed with a swinging third strike on Marris Schroder to send the Tide down in order.
• Gregory, who came on in the bottom of the third, tossed four consecutive 1-2-3 innings, getting a little help from her defense. She had a pair of strikeouts, four ground-ball outs, and six fly-ball outs to work her way through the order.
• Kaitlyn Eveland reached on an error to lead off the top of the seventh, and Lexi White singled to move her to second with no outs. Fouts retired the rest of the Spartan side in order to preserve the 2-1 victory for her team.
Michigan State and No. 5 Alabama engaged in a pitcher's duel on Friday night in Tuscaloosa, with freshman RHP Montana Fouts coming away with the 2-1 victory for the Crimson Tide. The game was part of the opening day action at Alabama's Easton Crimson Classic.
Michigan State out-hit their hosts by a 5-4 margin, but the story of the game was the young pitchers. Fouts tossed a complete game, striking out 11 and scattering just five hits. Sophomore McKenna Gregory came on in relief in the top of the third and threw four innings of no-hit ball, striking out two; starter junior Jordan Watson, who allowed two runs and four hits in the first two innings.
Gregory came on in the third as a planned sub after Watson went the first two frames – and then never relinquished the ball as she sent down the next 12 Crimson Tide batters in order. The home team entered the game with a 17-0 overall record and a .325 batting average, but couldn't get anything going off the Spartan sophomore.
Meanwhile, both Watson and Gregory got help from their defense – Ebonee Echols made a pair of impressive first-inning diving catches, the first doubling a runner off second for a double play. Kaitlyn Eveland also made a leaping catch in the third inning.
The game lasted just 1:42 with nine base hits between the teams. Charla Echols had two of those five base hits, including an RBI double in the third inning. Ebonee Echols, Lexi White, and Laney Joyner each had base hits for MSU (4-11). MSU left five runners compared to two for the hosts.
Kaylee Tow went 2-for-3 with both RBI for the Crimson tide, both hits going for doubles.
The two teams will meet again on Sunday afternoon to conclude the Easton Crimson Classic. Before that, the Spartans will play Saint Francis and Southern Miss on Saturday.
QUOTABLE
"While it will go down as a split of our games today, it was a really big day for us in the way we approached and executed in these two games. I liked the way we got going early against Saint Francis, and I was very proud of the way our team handled the atmosphere in a hostile environment when we took on Alabama. Each pitcher we threw today had a good outing, and over the two games, there was almost eight innings of no-hit ball between Alli Walker in the first game and McKenna Gregory in the second. Our hitters were patient and generated offense, and we got some clutch hits when we needed them. It is really a great way to start off the weekend, and hopefully a springboard for more consistency during this weeklong trip and going forward."
- Head Coach Jacquie Joseph
TOP PERFORMERS
• McKenna Gregory tossed four innings of no-hit relief, striking out two and throwing just 36 pitches.
• Charla Echols had an RBI double in the third inning and finished 2-for-3.
• Ebonee Echols made a pair of highlight-reel catches in left field and added a base hit.
STATS AND STORYLINES
• With MSU facing the potent Crimson Tide offense in the bottom of the first, Kaylee Tow led off the game with a double, and KB Sides followed with a fly ball down the left field line. Ebonee Echols made an impressive diving catch, then doubled Tow off second with an easy throw. The elder Echols also made an impressive diving catch for the third out.
• The Crimson Tide broke through in the bottom of the second off starter Jordan Watson. A leadoff single, hit batter, and two-out single loaded the bases for Tow, who sent the first pitch she saw into left field for a 2-0 lead for the home team. With two runners in scoring position, Watson got Sides to fly out to left to end the inning.
• Laney Joyner led off the third inning with a single up the middle, and Melanie Baccay moved her over to second. Charla Echols doubled into left center to plate Joyner to trim the Alabama lead to 2-1. Ebonee Echols followed with a single to left to put runners on the corners, but they were stranded.
• MSU's impressive defensive plays continued into the third. A leaping sno-cone catch by 3B Kaitlyn Eveland robbed Bailey Hemphill of a base hit to lead off the bottom of the inning. McKenna Gregory got DP Caroline Hardy to look at a called third strike for the second out and followed with a swinging third strike on Marris Schroder to send the Tide down in order.
• Gregory, who came on in the bottom of the third, tossed four consecutive 1-2-3 innings, getting a little help from her defense. She had a pair of strikeouts, four ground-ball outs, and six fly-ball outs to work her way through the order.
• Kaitlyn Eveland reached on an error to lead off the top of the seventh, and Lexi White singled to move her to second with no outs. Fouts retired the rest of the Spartan side in order to preserve the 2-1 victory for her team.
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Spartans All-Access: Coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley
Thursday, April 20