Saturday, February 11
College Station, Texas
10:00 am CT
Michigan State University
3-0
4
vs
3
Northern Kentucky
1-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Northern Kentucky
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
0
3
10
1
Michigan State
0
0
2
0
0
1
0
1
4
8
2
Spartan Softball Splits on Day Two of Texas A&M Invitational
2/11/2023 9:59:00 PM | Softball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Michigan State softball split a pair of games on Saturday, February 11 at the Texas A&M Invitational, defeating Northern Kentucky in the morning, 4-3, before dropping an afternoon contest to host school Texas A&M.
Michigan State's record for the season moves to 3-1 as the Spartans prep for their final game of the weekend.
Game One: Michigan State 4, Northern Kentucky 3 (8 Innings)
Michigan State won in walk-off fashion for the second consecutive day, taking down Northern Kentucky in extra innings on Saturday morning, 4-3. Senior Anna Fox delivered the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the eighth, scoring freshman Kayla Bane who entered the contest at second base thanks to the international tiebreaker rule.
Sophomore Faith Guidry made her second start of the season and left with a no decision. Guidry pitched 5.1 innings allowing two earned runs and striking out three. Junior Ashley Miller entered the game in the seventh inning and earned the win for MSU, striking out a pair in two innings of work.
Leading the team at the plate was junior Zaquai Dumas who had two hits and also drove in two runners. Fox and junior Alexis Barroso also chipped in RBIs for the Spartans. Both of Dumas and senior Camryn Wincher reached base three times with Wincher doubling and drawing a pair of walks.
The Spartans struck first in the bottom of the third, scoring a pair of runs on a Dumas liner through the left side of the infield.
Northern Kentucky started to gain momentum in the fifth inning as an error loaded the bases with one out. A force out at the plate kept the bases loaded, but Guidry struck the final batter of the inning out looking at strike three.
The Norse broke through at tied the game in the top of the sixth. Despite a lead-off pop out, Norse hitters hit back-to-back doubles to force MSU to make a change in the circle. Sophomore Madison Taylor entered the game for Michigan State, getting the final two outs of the inning, but allowing the tying run to score.
After a lead-off single by redshirt junior Jenae Wash, Barroso entered as a pinch hitter and doubled to deep left field. Wash scored on the play to give the Spartans a 3-2 lead.
Miller entered the game after a lead-off walk in the seventh inning, striking out a pair, but giving up three hits that allowed for Northern Kentucky to once again tie the game up.
Playing with the extra-innings runner on second base, the Spartans thwarted NKU's extra-inning effort by stranding their runner at third base.
Michigan State loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth to set up Fox for the walk off winner.
Game Two: Texas A&M 4, Michigan State 0
Texas A&M took an early lead over the Spartans in game two and never looked back as they shut out MSU on Saturday afternoon.
Junior Ashley Miller made her second start of the season for the Spartans and pitched well, striking out eight batters in six innings of work and allowing just one earned run. Miller's eight strikeouts improved her career tally to 361 and moved her into sole possession of seventh all-time for career strikeouts at MSU. Miller now sits seven punch-outs behind sixth-place Bridgette Rainey (368, 2015-18).
Miller did not allow a hit over her final four innings on work, with just one baserunner reaching on an error.
Texas A&M got on the board with three runs in the first inning. A lead-off error was followed by a pair of Aggie singles to score the first runner of the game. A single later in the inning scored two, but all runs were unearned to Miller due to the opening error.
TAMU added to its run tally in the second via sac fly. Koko Wooley scored from third after doubling earlier in the inning.
Senior Jessica Mabrey, freshman Mandy Esman, senior Camryn Wincher and sophomore Macy Lee each had hits for the Spartans in game four. Lee had a standup triple to right in the seventh inning.
Up Next: Michigan State will play one final game at the Texas A&M Invitational before returning to East Lansing, meeting Northern Kentucky for a second time on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Michigan State's record for the season moves to 3-1 as the Spartans prep for their final game of the weekend.
Game One: Michigan State 4, Northern Kentucky 3 (8 Innings)
Michigan State won in walk-off fashion for the second consecutive day, taking down Northern Kentucky in extra innings on Saturday morning, 4-3. Senior Anna Fox delivered the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the eighth, scoring freshman Kayla Bane who entered the contest at second base thanks to the international tiebreaker rule.
Sophomore Faith Guidry made her second start of the season and left with a no decision. Guidry pitched 5.1 innings allowing two earned runs and striking out three. Junior Ashley Miller entered the game in the seventh inning and earned the win for MSU, striking out a pair in two innings of work.
Leading the team at the plate was junior Zaquai Dumas who had two hits and also drove in two runners. Fox and junior Alexis Barroso also chipped in RBIs for the Spartans. Both of Dumas and senior Camryn Wincher reached base three times with Wincher doubling and drawing a pair of walks.
The Spartans struck first in the bottom of the third, scoring a pair of runs on a Dumas liner through the left side of the infield.
Northern Kentucky started to gain momentum in the fifth inning as an error loaded the bases with one out. A force out at the plate kept the bases loaded, but Guidry struck the final batter of the inning out looking at strike three.
The Norse broke through at tied the game in the top of the sixth. Despite a lead-off pop out, Norse hitters hit back-to-back doubles to force MSU to make a change in the circle. Sophomore Madison Taylor entered the game for Michigan State, getting the final two outs of the inning, but allowing the tying run to score.
After a lead-off single by redshirt junior Jenae Wash, Barroso entered as a pinch hitter and doubled to deep left field. Wash scored on the play to give the Spartans a 3-2 lead.
Miller entered the game after a lead-off walk in the seventh inning, striking out a pair, but giving up three hits that allowed for Northern Kentucky to once again tie the game up.
Playing with the extra-innings runner on second base, the Spartans thwarted NKU's extra-inning effort by stranding their runner at third base.
Michigan State loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth to set up Fox for the walk off winner.
Game Two: Texas A&M 4, Michigan State 0
Texas A&M took an early lead over the Spartans in game two and never looked back as they shut out MSU on Saturday afternoon.
Junior Ashley Miller made her second start of the season for the Spartans and pitched well, striking out eight batters in six innings of work and allowing just one earned run. Miller's eight strikeouts improved her career tally to 361 and moved her into sole possession of seventh all-time for career strikeouts at MSU. Miller now sits seven punch-outs behind sixth-place Bridgette Rainey (368, 2015-18).
Miller did not allow a hit over her final four innings on work, with just one baserunner reaching on an error.
Mandy Esman just committed robbery in right field! What a diving catch by the freshman.#GoGreen | #UNLEASH @NCAASoftball | @B1Gsoftball pic.twitter.com/01952vuOau
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) February 12, 2023
Texas A&M got on the board with three runs in the first inning. A lead-off error was followed by a pair of Aggie singles to score the first runner of the game. A single later in the inning scored two, but all runs were unearned to Miller due to the opening error.
TAMU added to its run tally in the second via sac fly. Koko Wooley scored from third after doubling earlier in the inning.
Senior Jessica Mabrey, freshman Mandy Esman, senior Camryn Wincher and sophomore Macy Lee each had hits for the Spartans in game four. Lee had a standup triple to right in the seventh inning.
Up Next: Michigan State will play one final game at the Texas A&M Invitational before returning to East Lansing, meeting Northern Kentucky for a second time on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Miller, Ashley (2-0)
L: M. Eads (1-1)
Batting:
2B: B. DiMemmo 1 ; T. Robertson 1
RBI: S. Barnes 1 ; T. Robertson 1 ; J. Rhoads 1
Base Running:
RUNS: M. Kennedy 1 ; B. DiMemmo 1 ; H. Colbert 1
SB: E. LeMonier 1
Batting:
2B: Wincher, Camryn 1 ; Dumas, Zaquai 1 ; Barroso, Alexis 1
RBI: Fox, Anna 1 ; Dumas, Zaquai 2 ; Barroso, Alexis 1
SH: Doloszycki, Sydney 1 ; Militello, AJ 1 ; Kates, Kendall 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fox, Anna 1 ; Esman, Mandy 1 ; Wash, Jenae 1 ; Bane, Kayla 1
HBP: Doloszycki, Sydney 1 ; Wash, Jenae 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball2B
/ Softball2B
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball1B
/ SoftballA Road Less Traveled | Spartans All-Access
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Spartans All-Access: Jenae Wash
Thursday, April 11
Spartans All-Access: Coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley
Thursday, April 20