Friday, March 25
Evanston, Ill.
1 pm
Michigan State University
16-11, 0
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3
Northwestern
20-4, 0
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Michigan State
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Northwestern
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5
1
Spartans Test No. 11 Northwestern in Big Ten Opener
3/25/2022 8:17:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – The Michigan State softball team battled until the final out on Friday, March 25, dropping a pair of games to #11 Northwestern to open Big Ten play. Michigan State fell 3-0 to the Wildcats in game one before losing a high-scoring affair, 8-6, in game two. The Spartans pushed Northwestern to the brink in the second game of the doubleheader, battling back from an 8-3 deficit.
A pair of losses moves Michigan State's record to 16-12 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play.
Sophomore Ashley Miller took to the circle for game one in a battle of two of the Big Ten's top arms. Miller struck out nine over six innings, allowing five hits, two walks and three unearned runs. Northwestern's Danielle Williams opposed Miller, striking out 17 in a one-hit performance.
Miller struck out three in the third inning, but a pair of errors extended the frame and allowed Northwestern to take a 1-0 lead. The score remained 1-0 until the sixth inning when the Wildcats led the off the inning with back-to-back hits. An errant throw cleared the bases and gave Northwestern a 3-0 lead.
Defensive miscues also aided Northwestern early in game two as the Wildcats took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Michigan State battled back in the top of the second when a two-run home run from sophomore Zaquai Dumas swung momentum in favor of the Spartans.
Northwestern looked to put the game out of reach in the second following a three-run home run from Rachel Lewis, but Michigan State stayed in the fight. Junior Sarah Ladd made the start in game two for Michigan State before freshman Ashley Martin came on in relief during the second inning. In the longest outing of her career, Martin allowed just one hit, striking out three in five innings of work. Martin walked five and allowed two earned runs.
Michigan State pulled back within three runs after a dropped pop up in the fourth inning made the score 6-3. Despite the ball looking like a routine pop up, fifth-year Caitie Ladd stayed with the play and hustled around the bases to score a run for her team.
The Wildcats extended their advantage to five runs, 8-3, in the bottom of the fourth after the first three batters of the inning reached base.
Michigan State continued to battle as the top of the order found life in the fifth inning. Seniors Jessica Mabrey and Courtney Callahan each singled before moving into scoring position on a pair of wild pitches. A two-out single through the right side of the infield by sophomore Alexis Barroso scored Callahan to bring MSU back within three runs, 8-5.
The Spartans added another run in the sixth following a single by senior Mackenzie Meech and walks from freshmen Macy Lee and Kayleigh Roper. Another series of wild pitches allowed pinch runner Abby Joseph to score, pulling Michigan State within two runs.
After a clean defensive inning in the sixth, the Spartans put two runners on base to open the seventh. Junior Camryn Wincher singled down the left field line before Barroso doubled to the wall in right field. Northwestern was forced to make its second pitching change of the afternoon, bringing Danielle Williams back out to earn her fifth save of the season.
Mabrey, Barroso and Meech all turned in multi-hit games for Michigan State in game two as the Spartans out-hit the Wildcats, 10-5. Callahan, Wincher, Ladd and Dumas also had hits for MSU.
UP NEXT: Weather permitting, Michigan State will try to get one more game in against Northwestern this weekend to complete the three-game series. Real feel temperatures are expected to teeter the league minimum for the remainder of the weekend.
A pair of losses moves Michigan State's record to 16-12 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play.
Sophomore Ashley Miller took to the circle for game one in a battle of two of the Big Ten's top arms. Miller struck out nine over six innings, allowing five hits, two walks and three unearned runs. Northwestern's Danielle Williams opposed Miller, striking out 17 in a one-hit performance.
Miller struck out three in the third inning, but a pair of errors extended the frame and allowed Northwestern to take a 1-0 lead. The score remained 1-0 until the sixth inning when the Wildcats led the off the inning with back-to-back hits. An errant throw cleared the bases and gave Northwestern a 3-0 lead.
Defensive miscues also aided Northwestern early in game two as the Wildcats took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Michigan State battled back in the top of the second when a two-run home run from sophomore Zaquai Dumas swung momentum in favor of the Spartans.
T2 | NU 3 - MSU 2
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) March 25, 2022
Zaquai Dumas rocks a ball to deep center field for her third home run of the season! Michigan State pulls back within one of the Wildcats in the second inning. #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/PADDOC2a1F
Northwestern looked to put the game out of reach in the second following a three-run home run from Rachel Lewis, but Michigan State stayed in the fight. Junior Sarah Ladd made the start in game two for Michigan State before freshman Ashley Martin came on in relief during the second inning. In the longest outing of her career, Martin allowed just one hit, striking out three in five innings of work. Martin walked five and allowed two earned runs.
Michigan State pulled back within three runs after a dropped pop up in the fourth inning made the score 6-3. Despite the ball looking like a routine pop up, fifth-year Caitie Ladd stayed with the play and hustled around the bases to score a run for her team.
The Wildcats extended their advantage to five runs, 8-3, in the bottom of the fourth after the first three batters of the inning reached base.
Michigan State continued to battle as the top of the order found life in the fifth inning. Seniors Jessica Mabrey and Courtney Callahan each singled before moving into scoring position on a pair of wild pitches. A two-out single through the right side of the infield by sophomore Alexis Barroso scored Callahan to bring MSU back within three runs, 8-5.
T2 | NU 3 - MSU 2
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) March 25, 2022
Zaquai Dumas rocks a ball to deep center field for her third home run of the season! Michigan State pulls back within one of the Wildcats in the second inning. #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/PADDOC2a1F
The Spartans added another run in the sixth following a single by senior Mackenzie Meech and walks from freshmen Macy Lee and Kayleigh Roper. Another series of wild pitches allowed pinch runner Abby Joseph to score, pulling Michigan State within two runs.
After a clean defensive inning in the sixth, the Spartans put two runners on base to open the seventh. Junior Camryn Wincher singled down the left field line before Barroso doubled to the wall in right field. Northwestern was forced to make its second pitching change of the afternoon, bringing Danielle Williams back out to earn her fifth save of the season.
Mabrey, Barroso and Meech all turned in multi-hit games for Michigan State in game two as the Spartans out-hit the Wildcats, 10-5. Callahan, Wincher, Ladd and Dumas also had hits for MSU.
UP NEXT: Weather permitting, Michigan State will try to get one more game in against Northwestern this weekend to complete the three-game series. Real feel temperatures are expected to teeter the league minimum for the remainder of the weekend.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Williams (12-1)
L: Miller, Ashley (9-6)
Batting:
2B: Zedak 1
SH: Caldrone 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shellmyer 1 ; Zedak 1 ; Cady 1
SB: Shellmyer 1 ; Cady 1
HBP: Cady 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
3B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball2B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
2B
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball1B
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