Saturday, April 2
East Lansing, Mich.
1 pm
Michigan State University
20-14, 1-4
2
vs
1
Ohio State
22-7, 3-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Ohio State
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
6
0
Michigan State
0
1
0
0
1
0
X
2
5
0
Miller Dominant in Game Two Win over Ohio State
4/2/2022 5:05:00 PM | Softball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Timely hitting and dominant pitching aided the Michigan State softball program to a 2-1 win over Ohio State at Secchia Stadium on Saturday. Sophomore Ashley Miller struck out 12 Buckeye batters, while freshman Kayleigh Roper and sophomore Zaquai Dumas each hit solo home runs.
A win over Ohio State improves Michigan State's record to 20-13 overall and 1-4 in Big Ten play. The Spartans are 6-1 inside Secchia Stadium heading into the weekend finale on Sunday. Ohio State is receiving votes in all major polls, while being ranked No. 24 by D1Softball and No. 25 by Softball America. The Buckeyes were No. 19 in the latest NCAA RPI.
Saturday's win was the 749th career victory at Michigan State for head coach Jacquie Joseph. Joseph has 885 total career coaching wins, sitting 15 wins away from the 900 mark. Her 885 wins ranks 20th among active Division I coaches.
Miller was dominant in the circle for Michigan State, striking out 12 batters and allowing just one earned run in her 14th complete game of the season. Her 12 strikeouts give her 165 on the season which is now ninth-most in program history for a single season. Miller struck out at least one batter in six of Saturday's seven innings.
Ohio State starter Emily Ruck allowed four hits, two earned runs, and struck out one in 4.1 innings of work before being relieved by Friday starter Lexie Handley. Handley walked two, allowing one hit and striking out one in 1.2 innings pitched.
The Spartans got two runs on five hits, highlighted by home runs from Roper and Dumas. Roper's homer gave MSU a 1-0 lead in the second inning before Ohio State tied the game up at 1-1 with a home run of their own in the third. Dumas' home run would prove to be the game winner as her fifth inning blast put the Spartans up 2-1 for good.
After a lead-off single in the top of the sixth inning was the last time an Ohio State batter would reach base as Miller retired the final six batters she faced.
UP NEXT: Michigan State will wrap up the weekend series against Ohio State on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. game. Next week the Spartans are back in action at home on Tuesday for a 5 p.m. game against Oakland.
A win over Ohio State improves Michigan State's record to 20-13 overall and 1-4 in Big Ten play. The Spartans are 6-1 inside Secchia Stadium heading into the weekend finale on Sunday. Ohio State is receiving votes in all major polls, while being ranked No. 24 by D1Softball and No. 25 by Softball America. The Buckeyes were No. 19 in the latest NCAA RPI.
Saturday's win was the 749th career victory at Michigan State for head coach Jacquie Joseph. Joseph has 885 total career coaching wins, sitting 15 wins away from the 900 mark. Her 885 wins ranks 20th among active Division I coaches.
Miller was dominant in the circle for Michigan State, striking out 12 batters and allowing just one earned run in her 14th complete game of the season. Her 12 strikeouts give her 165 on the season which is now ninth-most in program history for a single season. Miller struck out at least one batter in six of Saturday's seven innings.
Ohio State starter Emily Ruck allowed four hits, two earned runs, and struck out one in 4.1 innings of work before being relieved by Friday starter Lexie Handley. Handley walked two, allowing one hit and striking out one in 1.2 innings pitched.
The Spartans got two runs on five hits, highlighted by home runs from Roper and Dumas. Roper's homer gave MSU a 1-0 lead in the second inning before Ohio State tied the game up at 1-1 with a home run of their own in the third. Dumas' home run would prove to be the game winner as her fifth inning blast put the Spartans up 2-1 for good.
After a lead-off single in the top of the sixth inning was the last time an Ohio State batter would reach base as Miller retired the final six batters she faced.
UP NEXT: Michigan State will wrap up the weekend series against Ohio State on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. game. Next week the Spartans are back in action at home on Tuesday for a 5 p.m. game against Oakland.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Miller, Ashley (10-7)
L: Ruck, Emily (5-2)
Batting:
HR: Ruberti, Jaycee 1
RBI: Ruberti, Jaycee 1
SH: Carver, Niki 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ruberti, Jaycee 1
Batting:
HR: Roper, Kayleigh 1 ; Dumas, Zaquai 1
RBI: Roper, Kayleigh 1 ; Dumas, Zaquai 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Roper, Kayleigh 1 ; Dumas, Zaquai 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
A Road Less Traveled | Spartans All-Access
Thursday, April 17
A Higher Standard | Spartans All-Access
Tuesday, February 11
Spartans All-Access: Jenae Wash
Thursday, April 11
Spartans All-Access: Coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley
Thursday, April 20