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Softball’s Miller Matches Career Best in Strikeouts at Elon Cardinal Invite
3/4/2022 6:48:00 PM | Softball
ELON, N.C. – The Michigan State softball team dropped a pair of close games on Friday, March 4 at the Elon Cardinal Invite in Elon, N.C., falling to host Elon, 2-0, in game one before losing a 4-2 game against East Carolina in game two.
With a pair of losses, Michigan State is now 8-8 on the season. The Spartans will play nine more games over the course of spring break before returning home on Monday, March 14.
Sophomore Ashley Miller threw a gem in game one, matching her career-high in strikeouts with 14. Her 14 strikeouts are the third-most strikeouts in a single game at Michigan State and ties Miller with Kelly Smith for the most career 14 strikeout games in program history. It's the second time this season that Miller has struck out 14 batters and the sixth time she has struck out 10 or more batters in 2022. At the conclusion of game one, Miller ranked #6 nationally with 85 strikeouts this season.
Redshirt sophomore Jenae Wash led the team with a pair of hits in game one, going 2-for-2 at the plate. Wash added a double against East Carolina to finish the day 3-for-5. Freshman Macy Lee went 2-for-3 at the plate on Friday while drawing three walks to raise her season on-base percentage to a team-best .457.
One big inning was all Elon needed in game one, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. A two-out bloop single into left from Gabi Schaal scored runners from second and third.
Michigan State's best scoring opportunity came in the second inning after Lee led the inning off with a single. Senior Courtney Callahan came on as a pinch runner and stole second before a close play at the plate ended the inning. Callahan rounded third following Wash's single to left but was tagged out on a bang-bang play at the plate.
Junior Sarah Ladd started game two for the Spartans, striking out six in four innings of work. Ladd threw 3.2 scoreless innings before East Carolina tacked on two runs in the top of the fourth. Freshman Faith Guidry came on to pitch in relief allowing three hits and a walk in three innings pitched.
Michigan State got on the scoreboard first in game two, putting up two runs in the third inning. Freshman Kayleigh Roper led off the inning with a single, later advancing to third after a Caitie Ladd double. Junior Camryn Wincher scored Roper from third on a sacrifice fly to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Lee continued to see the ball well on Friday after her third inning single to center scored Ladd from second.
East Carolina bounced back in the top of the fourth, tying the game at 2-2. Bailee Wilson led off the inning with a single before Sarah Ladd struck out two batters in a row. Down to its final out of the inning, ECU got a pair of extra base hits to tie the game. Sydney Yoder tripled down the right field line and Keira Womack doubled to center field.
ECU took a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh after consecutive batters reached base to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt moved the Pirate runners into scoring position before a hard-hit ball through the legs of a Spartan defender allowed two runners to score.
UP NEXT: Michigan State returns to Hunt Softball Park in Elon, N.C. for a pair of games on Saturday, March 5, facing host Elon at 2:30 p.m. and ECU at the conclusion of that game. The Spartans will play their final game at Elon on Sunday, March 6, facing Detroit Mercy at 9:30 a.m.
With a pair of losses, Michigan State is now 8-8 on the season. The Spartans will play nine more games over the course of spring break before returning home on Monday, March 14.
Sophomore Ashley Miller threw a gem in game one, matching her career-high in strikeouts with 14. Her 14 strikeouts are the third-most strikeouts in a single game at Michigan State and ties Miller with Kelly Smith for the most career 14 strikeout games in program history. It's the second time this season that Miller has struck out 14 batters and the sixth time she has struck out 10 or more batters in 2022. At the conclusion of game one, Miller ranked #6 nationally with 85 strikeouts this season.
Redshirt sophomore Jenae Wash led the team with a pair of hits in game one, going 2-for-2 at the plate. Wash added a double against East Carolina to finish the day 3-for-5. Freshman Macy Lee went 2-for-3 at the plate on Friday while drawing three walks to raise her season on-base percentage to a team-best .457.
One big inning was all Elon needed in game one, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. A two-out bloop single into left from Gabi Schaal scored runners from second and third.
Michigan State's best scoring opportunity came in the second inning after Lee led the inning off with a single. Senior Courtney Callahan came on as a pinch runner and stole second before a close play at the plate ended the inning. Callahan rounded third following Wash's single to left but was tagged out on a bang-bang play at the plate.
Junior Sarah Ladd started game two for the Spartans, striking out six in four innings of work. Ladd threw 3.2 scoreless innings before East Carolina tacked on two runs in the top of the fourth. Freshman Faith Guidry came on to pitch in relief allowing three hits and a walk in three innings pitched.
Michigan State got on the scoreboard first in game two, putting up two runs in the third inning. Freshman Kayleigh Roper led off the inning with a single, later advancing to third after a Caitie Ladd double. Junior Camryn Wincher scored Roper from third on a sacrifice fly to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Lee continued to see the ball well on Friday after her third inning single to center scored Ladd from second.
East Carolina bounced back in the top of the fourth, tying the game at 2-2. Bailee Wilson led off the inning with a single before Sarah Ladd struck out two batters in a row. Down to its final out of the inning, ECU got a pair of extra base hits to tie the game. Sydney Yoder tripled down the right field line and Keira Womack doubled to center field.
ECU took a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh after consecutive batters reached base to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt moved the Pirate runners into scoring position before a hard-hit ball through the legs of a Spartan defender allowed two runners to score.
UP NEXT: Michigan State returns to Hunt Softball Park in Elon, N.C. for a pair of games on Saturday, March 5, facing host Elon at 2:30 p.m. and ECU at the conclusion of that game. The Spartans will play their final game at Elon on Sunday, March 6, facing Detroit Mercy at 9:30 a.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Weber, McKenzie (3-0)
L: Miller, Ashley (4-4)
Base Running:
SB: Callahan, Courtney 1
CS: Ladd, Caitie 1
Batting:
RBI: Schaal, Gabi 2
Base Running:
RUNS: McGarry, Raelyn 1 ; Menscer, Drew 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball2B
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
SS
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
1B
/ SoftballA Road Less Traveled | Spartans All-Access
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