Spartans Suffer Walkoff Loss at NC State, 4-3

Thursday, March 5

Raleigh, NC

6 PM

Michigan State University

10-10

NC State

15-7

Michigan State

NC State

3/5/2026 9:56:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Raleigh, NC – A bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh inning gave NC State a 4-3 walkoff victory over Michigan State to open the Marucci Classic in Raleigh on Thursday evening.

The Wolfpack (15-7) recorded its 12^th straight victory, getting the game-winning, bases-loaded single from starting pitcher Morgan Talley. Talley singled to center to bring home the runner from third to secure the win.

Michigan State used big defensive plays to stay close early before its bats got going in the late innings. MSU turned double plays in the second and third innings and threw out runners at home in the first and third to keep NC State from developing big innings.

Trailing 2-0 after NC State put individual runs on the board in the first two innings. MSU rallied for a three-run fifth, starting off with a solo homer by Zoie Bernard. A walk and back-to-back hit batters loaded the bases, and after NC State reliever Wynne Gore walked in a run, an infield error allowed Britain Beshears to reach base and MSU to take a 3-2 lead. The home team tied the game on a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth.

Michigan State next plays a Saturday doubleheader against Stetson and Mercer.

TOP PERFORMANCES

Hannah Greer led off the second inning with a triple down the right field line, and worked through an eight-pitch at-bat in the fifth to earn an RBI on a bases-loaded walk. She also had three putouts and three assists.
Zoie Bernard extended her hitting streak to 13 straight games with a fifth-inning homer, the first of her career.
Hannah Hawley laced a two-out single in the fifth. She returned to 3B after nine games as the DP.

NOTABLES

MSU turned a pair of double plays and also threw out two runners at home.
MSU stranded 10 runners, its second-highest total of the season behind the 11 LOB in last Sunday's game vs. Dayton.
The Spartans are now 3-3 in one-run games.
Alyssa Galindo took the loss in the circle, with the only run she allowed being the winner. She followed up Autumn Behlke's four-inning relief outing in which she scattered four hits and allowed just one run.

First career homer for Bernard cuts the NC State lead in half! pic.twitter.com/SY8KFrsBoh
— Michigan State Softball (@MSU_Softball) March 6, 2026

HOW THINGS HAPPENED

MSU allowed one run in the bottom of the first, but Lyndsey Hooker made an impressive throw from left to the plate to eliminate a second run for the third out of the inning. The Wolfpack plated just one run in the second despite loading the bases with none out, as Behlke got a ground ball to second and Greer turned the double play, and Greer then calmly got the third out as well.
MSU rallied for a three-run fifth, started with a solo homer by Zoie Bernard and a four-pitch walk to Kendall Smiley. After a pitching change, the next two batters (Hannah Hawley and Sophia Grillo) were each hit by pitches to load the bases. Reliever Wynne Gore got the next batter but then walked Hannah Greer to bring home a second run in the frame, and the rally was capped by Britain Beshears reaching on an error to bring home a third score in the inning. Lily Livington tied the game with a solo homer to left in the bottom of the fifth.
The Spartans left a pair of runners in the sixth. Kendall Smiley drew a two-out walk and moved to second on a base hit by Hannah Hawley, but both runners were stranded. Reliever Alyssa Galindo returned the favor by stranding two in the home half.
After MSU went down in order in the top of the seventh, the home team sandwiched a pair of singles around an error to load the bases, and starting pitcher Morgen Tally singled to center to end the game.