May 1, 2004

Final Stats

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State softball hung with No. 6 Michigan in steady rain for nine innings Saturday in East Lansing but couldn't pull out the victory, as the Wolverines took the 4-3 win, evening the season series at 1-1. State's record moves to 28-22 overall and 7-11 in the Big Ten, while UM is now 45-8, 16-2. Six Spartans posted MSU's six hits in the loss, as senior pitcher Jessica Beech (22-13) worked all 9.0 innings for the Spartans.

Beech allowed four UM runs, three of which were earned, on 12 hits and four walks. She struck out five. Three pitchers threw for Michigan, and Jennie Ritter picked up the win as she worked 1.2 innings, did not give up a hit and struck out three Spartan batters.

At the plate, State's Elizabeth Peterson and Janette Hurtado were both 1-for-2; Peterson added two walks and a run scored. Beech's double and singles from Natalie Furrow, Dayna Feenstra and Meghan Darhower accounted for State's other hits on the day. Darhower also contributed two RBI.

Michigan scored one run on three hits in the top of the first inning, as Jessica Merchant drove in Tiffany Haas who reached on a leadoff single. The score remained 1-0 until UM added another run in the top of the third as Haas doubled to start the inning, and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Nicole Motycka. The Spartans answered with a run in the bottom of the third, as Beech doubled with one out. She scored as Dayna Feenstra reached second on a two-base error by Merchant, the UM shortstop. The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth inning, when State took the lead.

Michigan tied the game in the top of the seventh, as two singles and a sacrifice put runners on second and third. An error by Green, the Spartan third baseman, allowed one run to score. MSU intentionally loaded the bases, and got the two outs to end the inning at 3-3, as Beech caught one batter looking and got the second to pop up to second base.

Despite having its 2-3-4 batters up in the bottom of the seventh inning, State couldn't get a runner on base. In the top of the eighth, Beech allowed a leadoff single, but got the next three batters to ground out.

In the top of the ninth, Beech hit Merchant to put a runner on first with one out. A walk followed by a single by third baseman Grace Lutele scored the go-ahead run, giving Michigan the 4-3 advantage. State got the final two outs and went to the bottom of the ninth inning with the top of the order at bat. Nicole Mercado was hit by pitch, and Beech hit a deep fly out to center field for the first out of the inning. Furrow belted a deep fly ball to right field that UM's Courtney Betley barely brought back into the field for the second out, and State fell to UM, 4-3.

State plays Western Michigan on Thursday, May 6 at 4 p.m., before concluding the regular season Saturday-Sunday, May 8-9 with a home series against Northwestern. Both of next weekend's games begin at 1 p.m., and all three games will be played at Old College Field on the Michigan State campus.