Friday, March 15
Columbia, S.C.
3 PM
Michigan State University
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Minnesota
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Minnesota
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Michigan State
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Photo by: Erica Lee
Wash, Hawley Lead Late Rally in Walk-Off Win over Golden Gophers
3/15/2024 9:41:00 PM | Softball
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A walk-off victory highlighted day one of the Garnet & Black Invitational for Michigan State softball on Friday as the Spartans defeated Minnesota (5-4) and fell to No. 22/23-ranked South Carolina (8-0) at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
A split on Friday moves Michigan State's record to 12-11 in the non-conference portion of its schedule. Friday's game against Minnesota does not count as a B1G contest.
Game One – Michigan State 5, Minnesota 4
Senior Liv Grey (8-4) tossed her second complete game of the season striking out two and allowing four earned runs on seven hits.
Sophomore Hannah Hawley led the Michigan State offense with a pair of hits including the game-winning home run in the bottom of the seventh. Hawley drove in three to tie for the game high. Also recording hits for the Spartans were junior Macy Lee, sophomore Sydney Doloszycki, senior Jenae Wash and senior Collette Allen. Wash also homered in the seventh as part of a five-run Spartan rally.
Minnesota opened a 3-0 advantage in the third inning after a three-run homer that cleared the left field fence. The Golden Gophers extended their lead to 4-0 after a two-out double down the left field line in the sixth scored one.
Down to its final two outs, Michigan State started to rally. Wash cut the Minnesota lead in half with a two-run shot to left in the bottom of the seventh. It was Wash's first long ball in over two years, last hitting one on February 26, 2022.
With Allen on first after a single, redshirt sophomore Mik Anthony reached on an error to help prolong the inning. A ground out moved both runners into scoring position, but it wouldn't matter for MSU. Hawley sent the first pitch she saw flying over the left field fence to walk-off the Golden Gophers.
It was a return to Carolina Stadium for Hawley who played for the Gamecocks in 2023.
Game Two – #22/23 South Carolina 8, Michigan State 0
Junior Madison Taylor (1-4) allowed four earned runs in 4.1 innings of work before being relieved by junior Faithy Guidry. Guidry recorded an out, allowing four earned runs on three hits and two walks.
Junior Macy Lee led the Spartans offensively with a pair of singles. Senior Alexis Ross, sophomore Britain Beshears and redshirt sophomore Mik Anthony also had hits for Michigan State. Anthony had the lone extra-base hit of the game with a double in the second inning. Sophomore Hannah Hawley reached on a walk while facing her former team.
Taylor got out of trouble in the first, stranding a bases loaded threat to keep things scoreless.
South Carolina struck first however scoring a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom of the second. The Gamecocks plated six runs in the fifth inning to end the game by run rule.
Up Next
Day two of the Garnet & Black Invitational kicks off for the Spartans at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 16 against NC State. NC State is 16-8, and winners of two-straight, after a 1-0 win over Northwestern on Friday morning.
A split on Friday moves Michigan State's record to 12-11 in the non-conference portion of its schedule. Friday's game against Minnesota does not count as a B1G contest.
Game One – Michigan State 5, Minnesota 4
Senior Liv Grey (8-4) tossed her second complete game of the season striking out two and allowing four earned runs on seven hits.
Sophomore Hannah Hawley led the Michigan State offense with a pair of hits including the game-winning home run in the bottom of the seventh. Hawley drove in three to tie for the game high. Also recording hits for the Spartans were junior Macy Lee, sophomore Sydney Doloszycki, senior Jenae Wash and senior Collette Allen. Wash also homered in the seventh as part of a five-run Spartan rally.
Minnesota opened a 3-0 advantage in the third inning after a three-run homer that cleared the left field fence. The Golden Gophers extended their lead to 4-0 after a two-out double down the left field line in the sixth scored one.
Down to its final two outs, Michigan State started to rally. Wash cut the Minnesota lead in half with a two-run shot to left in the bottom of the seventh. It was Wash's first long ball in over two years, last hitting one on February 26, 2022.
With Allen on first after a single, redshirt sophomore Mik Anthony reached on an error to help prolong the inning. A ground out moved both runners into scoring position, but it wouldn't matter for MSU. Hawley sent the first pitch she saw flying over the left field fence to walk-off the Golden Gophers.
It was a return to Carolina Stadium for Hawley who played for the Gamecocks in 2023.
Game Two – #22/23 South Carolina 8, Michigan State 0
Junior Madison Taylor (1-4) allowed four earned runs in 4.1 innings of work before being relieved by junior Faithy Guidry. Guidry recorded an out, allowing four earned runs on three hits and two walks.
Junior Macy Lee led the Spartans offensively with a pair of singles. Senior Alexis Ross, sophomore Britain Beshears and redshirt sophomore Mik Anthony also had hits for Michigan State. Anthony had the lone extra-base hit of the game with a double in the second inning. Sophomore Hannah Hawley reached on a walk while facing her former team.
Taylor got out of trouble in the first, stranding a bases loaded threat to keep things scoreless.
South Carolina struck first however scoring a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom of the second. The Gamecocks plated six runs in the fifth inning to end the game by run rule.
Up Next
Day two of the Garnet & Black Invitational kicks off for the Spartans at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 16 against NC State. NC State is 16-8, and winners of two-straight, after a 1-0 win over Northwestern on Friday morning.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Grey, Liv (8-4)
L: Bri Enter (8-4)
Batting:
2B: Maddy Ehlke 1
HR: Kayla Chavez 1
RBI: Kayla Chavez 3 ; Maddy Ehlke 1
SH: Tara Wolocko 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Morgan DeBord 1 ; Jess Oakland 1 ; Kayla Chavez 1 ; Sydney Strelow 1
CS: Morgan DeBord 1
HBP: Taylor Krapf 1 ; Sydney Strelow 1
Batting:
HR: Hawley, Hannah 1 ; Wash, Jenae 1
RBI: Hawley, Hannah 3 ; Wash, Jenae 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Hawley, Hannah 1 ; Mullen, Ava 1 ; Wash, Jenae 1 ; Allen, Collette 1 ; Anthony, Mik 1
HBP: Beshears, Britain 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball
1B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
3B/C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
LHP
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballA Road Less Traveled | Spartans All-Access
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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