Spartans Drop Series Finale at Rutgers

Sunday, April 12

Piscataway, NJ

1 PM

Michigan State University

15-25, 2-12

Rutgers

21-22, 5-13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Michigan State	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	4	8	2
Rutgers	2	3	0	0	2	0	X	7	9	0

4/12/2026 4:01:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State dropped a 7-4 decision in the third and final game of a series at Rutgers. The Spartans fall to 15-25 on the year and 2-12 in the Big Ten. With the series win, Rutgers is now 21-22 and 5-13 in Conference play.

Sophia Grillo came on as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and smacked a two-run homer, and MSU left two on base with the tying run at the plate as the rally fell short. Britain Beshears and Payton Conroy had the other two MSU RBI on the day, while Natalia Kenyatta had a two-hit effort, her second straight, with a single and a double.

Alyssa Galindo started and took the loss in the circle (1-2), followed by Carsyn Cassady for 3.1 innings and Jacey Schuler closed it out when she replaced Cassady in the fifth. Galindo and Cassady each allowed two earned runs, with Cassady striking out four.

Rutgers leadoff hitter Sam Rowher was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Addie Osborne hit a solo homer for the Scarlet Knights. Kelsey Hoekstra started the game and came back on in relief in the seventh inning, throwing 4.1 innings, allowing three hits, and walking four.

The teams traded taking early leads in the three games, and the Scarlet Knights started off with five runs over the first two innings. MSU countered with single scores in the third and fourth before a two-run fifth for the home team re-established a five-run advantage. The Spartans tried to rally in the seventh, but Grillo's two-run shot was all that MSU could get across.

Michigan State remains on the road for a three-game set at Northwestern, played at the Ballpark at Rosemont.

NOTEWORTHY

Sophia Grillo smacked a two-run pinch-hit homer in the top of the seventh. It was her fourth homer of the season, tied with Hannah Hawley for the team lead.
Natalia Kenyatta went 2-for-3, including a double – her second of the season.
Kirsten Caravaca walked twice, had a base hit, and threw out a runner stealing. She threw out two runners on stolen base attempts on the weekend.
The Spartans stranded 10 runners in the game and committed a pair of errors. Rutgers left eight on base.

SCORING SUMMARIES

Rutgers opened the game with three base hits in the first four batters, with Baleigh Burtis smacking an RBI double to bring home a run and a Spartan error brought Burtis around for the second run of the frame. The home team tacked on three in the second inning to inflate their lead to 5-0, taking advantage of a pair of walks and a second MSU error on the day.
MSU dug into the lead in both the third and fourth innings. Natalia Kenyatta led off with a double down the line in left, and a base hit by Zoie Bernard moved Kenyatta to third. Hannah Hawley was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and a ground ball to second by Beshears brought Kenyatta across the plate. Syd Doloszycki drew a walk to once again put three runners on, but MSU could not get any more home.
In the fourth, Kirsten Caravaca led off with a single and Hannah Greer walked. Payton Conroy's ground ball to short advanced the runners, sending Caravaca home for the second run for MSU.
Rutgers regained their five-run lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Cassady walked the leadoff Samantha Delhoyo, but Caravaca was able to extinguish an ensuing stolen base attempt. Addie Osborn followed with a solo homer to make it 6-2, and Eva Garofalo singled and pitcher S Hoekstra walked to put two more on. Sam Rowher 's single brought home the second score.
MSU staged a rally in the top of the seventh as Hannah Hawley led off with an infield single and was moved to second on a ground ball by Beshears. The center fielder robbed Doloszycki of a base hit with an impressive diving catch for the second out, but pinch hitter Sophia Grillo stepped in and launched her fourth homer of the season to trim the Rutgers lead to 7-4. Caravaca drew her second walk of the day, and Greer sent a single into right center to put a pair of baserunners on. Kelsey Hoekstra re-entered in the circle and retired the side on a fly ball.