Spartans Split Doubleheader at Maryland

GAME CAPSULE

Michigan State and Maryland split a doubleheader on Friday, with MSU earning a 2-0 shutout win in game one before Maryland turned up the offense for a 9-1 rebound in game two.

MSU extended its winning streak to four games with the 2-0 victory, recording its first shutout of the season. In the nightcap, the Terrapin bats came alive with 10 base hits (more than both teams combined in game one) to earn the 9-1 win in five innings.

Alexis Barroso and Kendall Kates each had a pair of base hits in the doubleheader, with Kates also drawing a walk and posting an RBI in game two.

Ashley Miller was again outstanding, lowering her ERA to 0.86 with five shutout innings, striking out six. Sarah Ladd tossed three relief innings over the two games, surrendering just two base hits and picking up the game-one save.

The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday that begins at 2 pm to complete the four-game series. .

PLAYER HIGHS

Alexis Barroso had base hits in both games, going a combined 2-for-4.
Kendall Kates was 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk and an RBI.
Ashley Miller improved to 4-2 in the circle with five shutout innings in game one, scattering four base hits and striking out six.
Sarah Ladd earned her second save of the year with two innings of one-hit relief in game one. She tossed one inning in game two, surrendering just one hit in game two as well.

STATS AND STORYLINES – GAME ONE

The Spartans wasted no time, putting a pair of runs on the board in the top of the first as Caitie Ladd, Mackenzie Meech, and Alexis Barroso led off the game with three straight base hits. Caitie Ladd scored on a passed ball, and pinch runner (for Barroso) scored on a wild pitch for the 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third, the first batter JoJo McRae reached on an error, and stole second. She moved to third on a ground ball out, and when Jaeda McFarland followed with a comebacker, she got McRae trying to come home for the second out of the inning. With runners at the corners and two outs, Joanna Bartz made a diving catch in left field to end the inning.
Ashley Miller started the sixth but the call to the bullpen went out to Sarah Ladd after an error and a base hit put two on with none out. Kendall Kates came up with a big pickoff at third for the first out of the inning, and a ground ball to short followed by a strikeout ended the Terrapin threat.
The teams endured a 90-minute game delay for rain after the completion of the sixth inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Regan Kerr reached on a one-out single, but Sarah Ladd got Michaela Jones to go down swinging for the second out of the frame. Pinch hitter Gracie Voulgaris was hit by a pitch to put a second runner on the basepaths with the winning run at the plate., but Sarah Ladd closed the door with a fly ball to left to secure the victory.
Ladd earned her second save with two innings of one-hit relief. Ashley Miller tossed five innings, striking out six.

STATS AND STORYLINES – GAME TWO

Maryland got on the board in the bottom of the first, breaking up its scoreless streak. Jaeda McFarland smacked a leadoff double to center, moved to third and eventually scored on a pair of ground ball outs.
The Terps blew open the game in the third with a four-run frame, smacking a pair of triples and a double. A leadoff walk followed by a triple, double, and single sent the signal to the bullpen. Sarah Ladd came in for the second straight game in a relief role, facing two on with none out and a 3-0 deficit. She got the first two outs – the first a ground ball that scored Okada from third – before surrendering a triple to Kerr, which scored another run and pushed Maryland's lead to 5-0.
MSU got a run back in the top of the fourth. Barroso led off the inning with a base hit, and with two outs, pinch hitter Katie Quinlan stole second. Quinlan came home on a base hit by Kendall Kates for MSU's first run of the game.
Alli Walker came into the game for MSU in the bottom of the fourth. She issued a one-out walk to McRae, who stole second and then advanced to third on a McFarland base hit. Taylor Okada brought home both runners with a single to left for a 7-1 Maryland advantage.
The homestanding Terrapins closed out the victory with a pair of runs in the fifth, making it a 9-1 game to end the game.
Jala Wright took the loss, charged with five earned runs on five hits. After Sarah Ladd tossed one relief inning, Alli Walker surrendered four runs on four hits.

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Team Stats

Kendall Kates

Alexis Barroso

Marissa Trivelpiece

Caitie Ladd

Players Mentioned

Alexis Barroso

Joanna Bartz

Kendall Kates

Caitie Ladd

Sarah Ladd

Mackenzie Meech

Ashley Miller

Katie Quinlan

Alli Walker

Jala Wright

Players Mentioned

Alexis Barroso

Joanna Bartz

Kendall Kates

Caitie Ladd

Sarah Ladd

Mackenzie Meech

Ashley Miller

Katie Quinlan

Alli Walker

Jala Wright