Michigan State University
9-8
Elon
11-6
Softball Hits Offensive Stride in Wins over Elon, East Carolina
3/5/2022 8:04:00 PM | Softball
ELON, N.C. – The Michigan State softball team found its offensive stride on Saturday, March 5, hitting .350 as a team (21-for-60) en route to wins over Elon (3-1) and East Carolina (6-1) on day two of the Elon Cardinal Invite.
A pair of wins on Saturday improves Michigan State's overall record to 10-8. The Spartans will conclude play at the Elon Cardinal Invite with a game against Detroit Mercy on Sunday morning at Hunt Softball Park.
Michigan State started to find its stroke at the plate in its rematch against Elon on Saturday, finishing the game with eight hits. Senior Mackenzie Meech and freshman Macy Lee each turned in multi-hit performances, while senior Jessica Mabrey, redshirt sophomore Jenae Wash, sophomore Alexis Barroso and senior Courtney Callahan also tallied baseknocks.
Piggybacking one another, freshman Faith Guidry and junior Sarah Ladd turned in a strong effort in the circle, allowing just one earned run and five hits. Ladd struck out five Phoenix batters in four innings pitched to earn her fourth win of the season.
The Spartans opened the contest by loading the bases in the first inning, with Mabrey and Lee being joined by fifth year Caitie Ladd. A single to center field from Wash scored Mabrey from third and put Michigan State out front 1-0.
Elon was quick to respond however as a solo home run by Gabi Schaal knotted the game up at 1-1 in the home half of the first.
Michigan State retook the lead for good in the top of the fourth after a Meech double and a Barroso single set up a pinch-hit opportunity for Callahan. Callahan roped a single into left field to score pinch-runner Brooke Snyder from third.
Meech's second double of the game set the Spartans up for success in the sixth inning. Advancing to second after Barroso was hit by a pitch, Meech would come around to score on a bunt from Callahan. An errant throw from an Elon player allowed Meech to score.
Sarah Ladd shut the door on any potential Elon comeback by retiring the final 10 batters she faced.
In game two, Michigan State combined stellar pitching with hot hitting to defeat East Carolina. Sophomore Ashley Miller was strong in the circle once again, striking out 12 Pirate batters in a complete game effort. Miller has now struck out 10 or more batters seven times this season.
Spartan hitters were 13-for-32 at the plate (.406), including multi-hit efforts from Mabrey, Meech and Caitie Ladd. Ladd was a team-best 3-for-4 at the dish and matched freshman Kayleigh Roper for the team-high in RBI with two. Junior Camryn Wincher reached base three times with a single and two walks.
After three scoreless innings of play Michigan State got out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Wash led the inning off with a hit by pitch, later advancing to second on a wild pitch. Caitie Ladd collected her second hit of the day on a single up the middle to score Wash. Timely hitting from junior Kennedy Wyllie gave the Spartans the 2-0 edge as her single to left scored Ladd.
Michigan State put four runs on the board in the fifth inning, scoring all with two outs. Wincher, who walked, was the first of seven straight Spartans to reach base. After Wash reached on a fielder's choice for the second out, five straight Michigan State batters safely reached base.
Caitie Ladd came up big for MSU once again as her two-out single through the 5-6 hole scored Wash. A double to deep right center by Roper scored Ladd and sophomore Marissa Trivelpiece, who pinch ran for Barroso who was hit by a pitch. Mabrey singled on a high pop up at second base before a line drive into center by Callahan scored Roper from third to blow open a 6-0 lead for Michigan State.
East Carolina got one run back in the bottom of the fifth on a triple by Faith Jarvis, but Miller retired the final two batters of the inning to strand Jarvis on third. As ECU searched for a rally, Miller struck out five of the final six batters of the game to secure victory for MSU.
UP NEXT: Michigan State will conclude its trip to Elon, N.C. with a game against Detroit Mercy at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 6. The Spartans are 38-11 all-time against Detroit Mercy, but have not faced the Titans since an 8-2 MSU victory in 2009.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ladd, Sarah (4-2)
L: Nemeth, Alexa (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Meech, Mackenzie 2
RBI: Wash, Jenae 1 ; Callahan, Courtney 1
SH: Ladd, Caitie 1 ; Wincher, Camryn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mabrey, Jessica 1 ; Meech, Mackenzie 2
SB: Dumas, Zaquai 1
HBP: Barroso, Alexis 1
Batting:
2B: Davis, Carley 1
HR: Schaal, Gabi 1
RBI: Schaal, Gabi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Schaal, Gabi 1
