Friday, May 3
Piscataway, NJ
12:00 PM ET
Michigan State University
15-33, 3-17
5
at
7
Rutgers
27-22, 10-11
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Michigan State
2
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
7
1
Rutgers
0
0
0
3
2
0
0
2
7
9
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Whitney Jones (11-13)
L: Walker, Alli (8-13)
Batting:
2B: Echols, Ebonee 1
HR: Ladd, Caitie 2 ; Echols, Charla 1
RBI: Ladd, Caitie 3 ; Echols, Charla 1 ; Joyner, Laney 1
SH: Quinlan, Katie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ladd, Caitie 2 ; Echols, Charla 1 ; Echols, Ebonee 1 ; Joyner, Laney 1
HBP: Quinlan, Katie 1
PO: Ladd, Caitie 1
Batting:
2B: Aleah Marra 1
3B: Myah Moy 1
HR: Katie Wingert 1 ; Nicole Bowman 1 ; Anyssa Iliopoulos 1 ; Madyson Cole 1
RBI: Katie Wingert 2 ; Nicole Bowman 1 ; Anyssa Iliopoulos 1 ; Madyson Cole 2
SH: Myah Moy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Katie Wingert 1 ; Nicole Bowman 1 ; Anyssa Iliopoulos 2 ; Aleah Marra 1 ; Madyson Cole 1 ; Nicolette Anico 1
SB: Aleah Marra 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/3B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball3B
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
SS/UTL
/ SoftballSS/UTL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
DP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Rutgers Rallies for Walkoff in Eight Innings, 7-5
5/3/2019 2:57:00 PM | Softball
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
In a battle for a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, Friday's game at Rutgers ended in walkoff heartbreak for the Spartans, as Katie Wingert hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 7-5 victory.Â
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The teams combined for seven homers in the contest – three each in regulation, and then Wingert's two –run shot in the bottom of the eighth that pushed Rutgers' record to 27-22 overall and 10-11 in Big Ten play. MSU falls to 15-33, 3-17 Big Ten.Â
The Spartans built a quick 5-0 lead through two innings in large part due to those three home runs, and then saw the home team claw away at the lead to tie it up in the bottom of the fifth, also via the home run. After two scoreless innings on both ends, the home team completed the comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning.Â
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Pitcher Whitney Jones (11-13) entered in relief in the bottom of the second after Caitie Ladd's second homer of the day and limited the Spartans to just three base hits, striking out three and walking two after coming on in relief of starter Corah Price.  Wingert was 2-for-4 on the day with the winning two-run homer to her credit; Penelope Russ was also 2-for-4. Madyson Cole had a two-run homer as well for the Scarlet Knights.
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Caitie Ladd had three base hits on the day, including a pair of homers – a solo shot in the first and a two-run bomb in the second. Charla Echols also homered, and Laney Joyner had an RBI single. Kaitlyn Eveland (single) and Ebonee Echols (double) also had base hits for the Spartans. McKenna Gregory started the game and went 4.1 innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits. She made way for Alli Walker in the fifth, and Walker took the loss (8-13). Â
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TOP PERFORMERS
STATS AND STORYLINES
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In a battle for a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, Friday's game at Rutgers ended in walkoff heartbreak for the Spartans, as Katie Wingert hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 7-5 victory.Â
Â
The teams combined for seven homers in the contest – three each in regulation, and then Wingert's two –run shot in the bottom of the eighth that pushed Rutgers' record to 27-22 overall and 10-11 in Big Ten play. MSU falls to 15-33, 3-17 Big Ten.Â
The Spartans built a quick 5-0 lead through two innings in large part due to those three home runs, and then saw the home team claw away at the lead to tie it up in the bottom of the fifth, also via the home run. After two scoreless innings on both ends, the home team completed the comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning.Â
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Pitcher Whitney Jones (11-13) entered in relief in the bottom of the second after Caitie Ladd's second homer of the day and limited the Spartans to just three base hits, striking out three and walking two after coming on in relief of starter Corah Price.  Wingert was 2-for-4 on the day with the winning two-run homer to her credit; Penelope Russ was also 2-for-4. Madyson Cole had a two-run homer as well for the Scarlet Knights.
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Caitie Ladd had three base hits on the day, including a pair of homers – a solo shot in the first and a two-run bomb in the second. Charla Echols also homered, and Laney Joyner had an RBI single. Kaitlyn Eveland (single) and Ebonee Echols (double) also had base hits for the Spartans. McKenna Gregory started the game and went 4.1 innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits. She made way for Alli Walker in the fifth, and Walker took the loss (8-13). Â
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TOP PERFORMERS
- Caitie Ladd went 3-for-4 with a pair of homers,
- Charla Echols hit a solo homer.
- Ebonee Echols was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- MSU came out guns blazing – the Spartans got solo homers from leadoff hitter Ladd and No. 2 Charla Echols to take a quick 2-0 lead.
- MSU tacked on three in the second inning. Ebonee Echols reached on an error, and she moved to second, then third on a sac bunt and a fly ball to center. Laney Joyner legged out an infield single to bring home Echols, and then Ladd stepped in to deliver a second homer of the day, a two-run shot that pushed the Spartan lead to 5-0. The Scarlet Knights made a pitching change, bringing on Whitney Jones; she got the final out of the inning.
- The Spartans had a pair of base hits in the third – a single by Kaitlyn Eveland and a double by Ebonee Echols – but the pair was stranded in scoring position.Â
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- A three-run fourth inning brought the home team within two, 5-3. A solo shot buy Anyssa Iliopoulos led off the frame, and with two outs, Aleah Marra doubled to right center, followed by a two-run homer by Madyson Cole.Â
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- Nicole Bowman cut into the lead again in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer, getting her team within a run at 5-4. The Spartans brought on Alli Walker to pitch at that point, with no outs on the board. Walker put Iliopolos and Moy on base with a pair of walks, and on a fielding error, Iliopolis came around to score and tie the game, 5-5.Â
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- Whitney Jones, who entered in the second, kept the Spartan offense corralled through the balance of the game, allowing just three base hits to MSU over 5.1 innings.Â
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- After two scoreless innings for the home team, catcher Katie Wingert hit the two-run walkoff to left center to end the game in the bottom of the eighth.
- Caitie Ladd hit two homers in a game for the second time this season – she did it at Indiana on March 29. Other players this season with two homers in a game are Charla Echols (vs. Central Michigan, April 9), Ebonee Echols (vs. Maryland, April 7).  That ties the school record for home runs in a game (2) – and has also been accomplished by current team members Kelly Zackrison (April 28, 2018 vs. Rutgers), Lexi White (May 8, 2017 vs. Indiana) and Kaitlyn Eveland (April 8, 2017).
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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