Friday, March 26
East Lansing, Mich.
4 pm
Michigan State University
2
vs
3
Rutgers
Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Michigan State Athletics)
Spartans Fall to Rutgers in Home Opener, 3-2
3/26/2021 7:29:00 PM | Softball
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State gave up three runs in the opening frame and could only find two of their own on the afternoon to drop its home opener to Rutgers, 3-2 on Friday at Secchia Stadium.
Sophomore Ashley Hitchcock and Spartan freshman Ashley Miller were locked in a pitcher's duel for most of the game – Hitchcock with a three-run lead by the time she threw her first pitch and Miller who came on in relief in the first inning and allowed just one base hit and one walk in 6.2 innings, striking out eight.
Freshman Alexis Barroso led MSU's offense with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate which included her second career home run, a bomb over the left field wall in the fourth inning which brought MSU within 3-2. Kendall Kates had an RBI in the second after MSU started off the frame with three consecutive base hits, but only got that one run across.
The two teams, sporting identical 3-10 records, play a doubleheader on Saturday at Secchia Stadium, beginning at 1 pm.
Stats and Notes
Sophomore Ashley Hitchcock and Spartan freshman Ashley Miller were locked in a pitcher's duel for most of the game – Hitchcock with a three-run lead by the time she threw her first pitch and Miller who came on in relief in the first inning and allowed just one base hit and one walk in 6.2 innings, striking out eight.
Freshman Alexis Barroso led MSU's offense with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate which included her second career home run, a bomb over the left field wall in the fourth inning which brought MSU within 3-2. Kendall Kates had an RBI in the second after MSU started off the frame with three consecutive base hits, but only got that one run across.
The two teams, sporting identical 3-10 records, play a doubleheader on Saturday at Secchia Stadium, beginning at 1 pm.
Stats and Notes
- Sarah Ladd gave up three runs in the first inning, thanks to a triple to Kiersten Withstandley and a double to Anysa Iliopoulos. Ashley Miller came on in relief of Ladd with one out and one on, and got the two outs she needed to get the Spartans out of the inning.
- Jenae Wash, Alexis Barroso, and Camryn Wincher each singled to start off the bottom of the second, loading the bases for Kendal Kates, who moved the runners with a ground ball to short, scoring Wash to cut into the Rutgers lead. The Spartans could only push the one across, and left the second inning with a 3-1 deficit.
- MSU came within a run in the fourth inning on Alexis Barroso's solo homer over the left field wall.
- The Spartans struggled to get anything going off pitcher Ashley Hitchcock, as she retired the next 11 batters after Barroso's homer.
- As good as Hitchcock was for the Scarlet Knights, Spartan hurler Miller was just as good for her team. She did not allow a baserunner after the third inning, when she allowed a base hit and then intentionally walked Iliopoulos, but got the strikeout to end the frame. Miller struck out the final batter in each inning from the third frame on, and finished her game with her season best eight strikeouts in
Players Mentioned
1B
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
3B/SS
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