Michigan State University Athletics
Sunday, April 14
Minneapolis, MN
2:30 PM ET/ 1:30 PM CT
Michigan State University
15-24, 3-8
5
at
9
Minnesota
29-10, 10-1
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Michigan State
2
0
0
3
0
0
0
5
8
1
Minnesota
0
3
0
3
0
3
X
9
13
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Amber Fiser (18-6)
L: Walker, Alli (8-9)
Batting:
2B: Echols, Ebonee 1 ; Bartz, Joanna 1
RBI: Echols, Ebonee 1 ; Bartz, Joanna 2 ; Zackrison, Kelly 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Baccay, Melanie 1 ; Echols, Charla 1 ; Joyner, Laney 1 ; Quinlan, Katie 1 ; Bartz, Joanna 1
Batting:
2B: MaKenna Partain 1 ; Natalie DenHartog 1 ; Emma Burns 1 ; Carlie Brandt 1
HR: MaKenna Partain 1 ; Emma Burns 1 ; Allie Arneson 1
RBI: MaKenna Partain 2 ; Natalie DenHartog 2 ; Emma Burns 4 ; Allie Arneson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MaKenna Partain 2 ; Maddie Houlihan 1 ; Natalie DenHartog 2 ; Katelyn Kemetmueller 1 ; Emma Burns 1 ; Allie Arneson 1 ; Carlie Brandt 1
SB: MaKenna Partain 1 ; Maddie Houlihan 1 ; Emma Burns 1
HBP: Carlie Brandt 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
ph/3b
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
2B
/ Softball
3B/C
/ SoftballC/3B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballSS/UTL
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Spartans Upended by Gophers in Game Two of Doubleheader
4/14/2019 7:42:00 PM | Softball
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
Minnesota posted three runs in the fourth inning and three more in the sixth to score a come-from-behind victory over Michigan State, 9-5, in the nightcap of a twinbill on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.Â
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Senior pitcher Amber Fiser came on in relief for Minnesota in the fourth inning after MSU had taken a 5-3 lead and shut down the Spartans. MSU had found a bit of an offensive groove against starter Sydney Smith, who allowed six base hits and five earned runs. Fiser allowed the Spartans just two base hits in 3.1 innings of relief work, striking out seven. Â
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Michigan State jumped on the board in the top of the first on a two-run double by Ebonee Echols, and generated a three-run rally in the top of the fourth behind three pinch hits. Joanna Bartz had a two-run double in that fourth inning. Charla Echols went 2-for-3 in the game. McKenna Gregory earned her third start, going three innings and surrendering seven base hits. Alli Walker came on in relief after throwing in the first game and scattered five hits in relief.Â
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Minnesota (29-10, 9-1 B1G) came back from an early 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the second with home runs from McKenna Partain and Allie Ameson. Partain was 3-for-4 with a double and a homer, while both Natalie DenHartog and Emma Burns had three base hits. Burns led her team with four RBI on the day, with the other two contributing two.  Â
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The Spartans (15-24, 3-8 B1G) have a busy week on tap with four home contests. MSU tangles with archrival Michigan on Tuesday at 6 pm in a game that will air live on BTN. Over the weekend, the Spartans entertain Ohio State in a three-game Big Ten series; the middle game will air on BTN as well (11 am).Â
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QUOTABLE
"Minnesota is a strong team with an outstanding pitcher and a veteran lineup. Fiser was outstanding in both games, and really kept our hitters on our toes. We got the bats going a bit against their game two starter, and even in the first game today had some early hits off of Fiser that put us in a position to do some damage. What we're going to be seeing over this three-week stretch is the best teams in the Big Ten – so its critical for us to hang in there and keep fighting even when things don't go our way. "
Head Coach Jacquie Joseph
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TOP PERFORMERS
·         Ebonee Echols was 2-for-3 with an RBI
·         Joanna Bartz delivered a two-run RBI double in the fourth inning and was 1-for-2 on the day.
·         Laney Joyner and Kelly Zackrison both had pinch hit singles in the fourth inning.
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STATS AND STORYLINES
·         MSU started things right away in the top of the first with a pair of runs across the plate. Melanie Baccay lead off with a walk and moved to third on an infield single by Charla Echols. With one out on the board, Ebonee Echols doubled to left to bring home both runners for a 2-0 lead.  Â
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·         Three swings of the bat allowed the home team to tie, then take the lead in the game. Arneson hit a one-out homer to left, and after Brandt doubled, MaKenna Partain homered to center to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.Â
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·         A leadoff single to Brandner was how the Gophers started the third inning. Gregory got fly balls to left from Natalie DenHartog and Katelyn Kemetmueller, but Emma Burns stepped in to double down the left field line, putting pinch runner Gill to third and keeping the inning alive. Gregory walked Arneson to load the bases, but got Emily Hansen on a comebacker to the circle to end the threat.Â
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·         The Spartans got some juice off its bench in the fourth. Pinch hitter Laney Joyner and Katie Quinlan reached on consecutive two-out singles, and Joanna Bartz came off the bench to punch a two-run double into right single to give the Spartans back the lead, 4-3. Bartz went to third on a wild pitch, and pinch hitter Kelly Zackrison delivered a third pinch hit for the Spartans in the inning to bring home Bartz to give MSU a two-run lead.Â
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·         Minnesota matched the Spartans with a three-run fourth inning. Partain doubled down the left field line with a runner on, which sparked a pitching change for MSU as Alli Walker came on in relief. Walker got a fielder's choice with an out at home for the first out of the inning, then a second out when Brandner grounded out to third. DenHartog, Kemetmuller, and Burns put together three straight base hits to make it a three-run rally and re-establish a Gopher lead, 6-5.Â
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·         Fiser faced her full inning in the second game when MSU had a pair of base hits in the fifth. The hits came from the bats of Charla and Ebonee Echols, but couldn't get anything around. In the sixth, the Spartans were sent down in order with three straight strikeouts.
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·         The home team capped its scoring with three runs in the sixth inning. After Brandner reached on a leadoff error, DenHartog singled. Kemetmueller reached on a fielder's choice, which left two on base for Burns, who launched a homer to center. Â
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Minnesota posted three runs in the fourth inning and three more in the sixth to score a come-from-behind victory over Michigan State, 9-5, in the nightcap of a twinbill on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.Â
Â
Senior pitcher Amber Fiser came on in relief for Minnesota in the fourth inning after MSU had taken a 5-3 lead and shut down the Spartans. MSU had found a bit of an offensive groove against starter Sydney Smith, who allowed six base hits and five earned runs. Fiser allowed the Spartans just two base hits in 3.1 innings of relief work, striking out seven. Â
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Michigan State jumped on the board in the top of the first on a two-run double by Ebonee Echols, and generated a three-run rally in the top of the fourth behind three pinch hits. Joanna Bartz had a two-run double in that fourth inning. Charla Echols went 2-for-3 in the game. McKenna Gregory earned her third start, going three innings and surrendering seven base hits. Alli Walker came on in relief after throwing in the first game and scattered five hits in relief.Â
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Minnesota (29-10, 9-1 B1G) came back from an early 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the second with home runs from McKenna Partain and Allie Ameson. Partain was 3-for-4 with a double and a homer, while both Natalie DenHartog and Emma Burns had three base hits. Burns led her team with four RBI on the day, with the other two contributing two.  Â
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The Spartans (15-24, 3-8 B1G) have a busy week on tap with four home contests. MSU tangles with archrival Michigan on Tuesday at 6 pm in a game that will air live on BTN. Over the weekend, the Spartans entertain Ohio State in a three-game Big Ten series; the middle game will air on BTN as well (11 am).Â
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QUOTABLE
"Minnesota is a strong team with an outstanding pitcher and a veteran lineup. Fiser was outstanding in both games, and really kept our hitters on our toes. We got the bats going a bit against their game two starter, and even in the first game today had some early hits off of Fiser that put us in a position to do some damage. What we're going to be seeing over this three-week stretch is the best teams in the Big Ten – so its critical for us to hang in there and keep fighting even when things don't go our way. "
Head Coach Jacquie Joseph
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TOP PERFORMERS
·         Ebonee Echols was 2-for-3 with an RBI
·         Joanna Bartz delivered a two-run RBI double in the fourth inning and was 1-for-2 on the day.
·         Laney Joyner and Kelly Zackrison both had pinch hit singles in the fourth inning.
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STATS AND STORYLINES
·         MSU started things right away in the top of the first with a pair of runs across the plate. Melanie Baccay lead off with a walk and moved to third on an infield single by Charla Echols. With one out on the board, Ebonee Echols doubled to left to bring home both runners for a 2-0 lead.  Â
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·         Three swings of the bat allowed the home team to tie, then take the lead in the game. Arneson hit a one-out homer to left, and after Brandt doubled, MaKenna Partain homered to center to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.Â
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·         A leadoff single to Brandner was how the Gophers started the third inning. Gregory got fly balls to left from Natalie DenHartog and Katelyn Kemetmueller, but Emma Burns stepped in to double down the left field line, putting pinch runner Gill to third and keeping the inning alive. Gregory walked Arneson to load the bases, but got Emily Hansen on a comebacker to the circle to end the threat.Â
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·         The Spartans got some juice off its bench in the fourth. Pinch hitter Laney Joyner and Katie Quinlan reached on consecutive two-out singles, and Joanna Bartz came off the bench to punch a two-run double into right single to give the Spartans back the lead, 4-3. Bartz went to third on a wild pitch, and pinch hitter Kelly Zackrison delivered a third pinch hit for the Spartans in the inning to bring home Bartz to give MSU a two-run lead.Â
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·         Minnesota matched the Spartans with a three-run fourth inning. Partain doubled down the left field line with a runner on, which sparked a pitching change for MSU as Alli Walker came on in relief. Walker got a fielder's choice with an out at home for the first out of the inning, then a second out when Brandner grounded out to third. DenHartog, Kemetmuller, and Burns put together three straight base hits to make it a three-run rally and re-establish a Gopher lead, 6-5.Â
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·         Fiser faced her full inning in the second game when MSU had a pair of base hits in the fifth. The hits came from the bats of Charla and Ebonee Echols, but couldn't get anything around. In the sixth, the Spartans were sent down in order with three straight strikeouts.
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·         The home team capped its scoring with three runs in the sixth inning. After Brandner reached on a leadoff error, DenHartog singled. Kemetmueller reached on a fielder's choice, which left two on base for Burns, who launched a homer to center. Â
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Sharonda McDonald-Kelley | Softball Press Conference | Feb. 16 2026
Monday, February 16
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