Michigan State University Athletics
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April 15, 1997
No. 12 MSU Softball Sweeps Fifth-Straight Big Ten Series
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Two games of shut-out softball led 12th-ranked Michigan State (42-9, 12 0 Big Ten) to its record fifth-straight sweep of a conference opponent as it defeated Indiana (21-16, 5-6 Big Ten), 1-0 and 2-0, Tuesday afternoon at Old College Field. It was MSU's 42nd win of the year, tying a single-season record for wins set in 1981. It also extended Michigan State's 14-game Big Ten winning streak dating back to last season.
It took 15 innings in game one of the doubleheader for MSU to record its sixth extra-inning win, 1-0, as senior pitcher Stacey Smith (Princeton Jct., NJ) scattered six hits to record her eighth shutout of the year, tying a Spartan single-season record. Smith also struck out nine, one batter shy of her season high, while only walking two.
The contest equaled MSU's longest game in history, first played in 1994 with a 2-1 loss at home to Indiana and again earlier this season (4/2) in a 1-0 loss at home to Central Michigan. It also marked MSU's third-straight extra-inning game. Stephanie Giroux (Fr., Davisburg) scored the lone run as Margaret Hollis (Fr., Anaheim, Calif.) singled her home with two outs in the bottom of the inning. State had previously left 14 runners on the base paths after doubling up the Hoosiers in hits, 13-6.
In game two, back-to-back one-run innings in the fifth and sixth were enough to set the Spartans ahead 2-0 and pick up another win over the Hoosiers. The game stayed scoreless through four innings before Stephanie Giroux scored on Carrie Fry's (Fr., Cerritos, Calif.) single to right center with one out. Junior pitcher Jackie Hall (Mississagua, Ont.) flied out to the rightfielder to sacrifice Tiffany Yager (So., Mt. Pleasant) home and put the Spartans on top 2-0 after six. Hall threw a complete game three-hitter to pick up her third shutout of the year, raising her overall record to 8-3.
Freshmen Stephanie Giroux and Carrie Fry accounted for most of the Spartan offense Tuesday as Giroux, a leftfielder, went 3-for-9 (.333) with two runs scored and Fry, a second baseman, was 4-for-8 with an RBI.
With Tuesday's back-to-back shutouts, the Green and White have held opponents scoreless for 30 consecutive innings dating back to the fourth inning against Ohio State on April 13.
The Spartans kept pace with Iowa in the battle for first place in the Big Ten. Iowa had swept Wisconsin, 3 2 and 9-1, earlier in the day to improve its Big Ten record to 9-0. The Spartans are now 12-0 in the conference and face Western Michigan at home in a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader Thursday.
Game One
R H E
Indiana 000 000 000 000 000 - 0 6 4
Michigan State 000 000 000 000 001 - 1 13 1
Creith and Gayer. Smith and Hugan. WP - Smith (25-4). LP -
Creith (11-7). Save - none. HR - none. Attendance - 208.
Game Two
R H E
Michigan State 000 011 0 - 2 7 0
Indiana 000 000 0 - 0 3 1
Hall and Hugan. Martinez and Gayer. WP - Hall (8-3). LP -
Martinez (10-9). Save - none. HR - none. Attendance - 208.