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April 8, 2017
YPSILANTI, Mich. - The Penn State softball team split its doubleheader against Michigan State University on the campus of Eastern Michigan University Saturday, April 8. The Nittany Lions (15-20, 3-5 B1G) earned a 7-3 victory in game one before falling 11-3 in five innings in game two to the Spartans (20-12, 4-4 B1G) in a Big Ten Conference contest.
Sophomore Tori Dubois (Mt. Vernon, N.H.) led the Blue and White at the plate with five hits, three RBIs and scoring three times, while Shelby Miller (Sugar Land, Texas) brought in three runs on a three-run shot in game one and Toni Polk (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) plated two runs on a single in game two against the Spartans.
Senior Marlaina Laubach (Northampton, Pa.) went the distance in game one against MSU and struck out four. Freshman Madey Smith (Washington, N.J.) suffered the loss in game two, throwing four innings, while both Jessica Cummings (Owings, Md.) and Madison Seifert (Wildwood, Mo.) saw time in the circle for Penn State.
Kaitlyn Eveland was a threat at the plate for the Spartans with four hits, four RBIs and scored twice. Also bringing in multiple RBIs for MSU was Lea Foerster, who had a three-run homer for the Spartans in game two. Kristina Zalewski suffered the loss in game one for Michigan State, while Bridgette Rainey earned the complete game win in game two.
Game One: Penn State 7, Michigan State 3
The Spartans got on the board in the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back hits into left and right field. Michigan State's hitting continued into the second inning as a single up the middle with runners in scoring position allowed it to take the 2-0 advantage over the Blue and White.
Back-to-back walks proved to be detrimental to the Green and White in the top of the third inning when Miller launched a two-out home run over the center field wall to put the lead into the hands of the Nittany Lions, 3-2. Destiny Weber (Grafton, Ohio) got the offense started in the top of the fourth inning before a double off the center field wall from Ziegler extended the Blue and White lead to 4-2.
With a runner on third, Gianna Arrizurieta (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) executed a suicide squeeze to score Dubois and give Penn State the 5-2 advantage. Sarah Gutknecht brought Michigan State within two of the Nittany Lions when she ripped a solo shot over the center field wall in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Penn State answered Michigan State's one run in the top of the sixth inning when Dubois blasted her second home run of the season over the left field fence and allowed the Blue and White to take a 7-3 advantage. A 1-2-3 inning capped off the victory in the bottom of the seventh inning as Penn State earned the 7-3 win.
Game Two: Michigan State 11, Penn State 3 (5 innings)
Michigan State started quick in game two when a one-out three-run homer cleared the center field wall to put the Spartans up 3-0 in the first inning.
Ziegler led off the top of the third inning with a double down the right field line and came around to score on a Dubois single through the left side of the field to bring the Nittany Lions within two of Michigan State with one out. Polk tied the ball game at 3-3 when she laced a single through the right side of the field and brought in two runs for the Blue and White to close out the top of the third inning.
The Spartans answered in the bottom half of the inning when Eveland hit a line drive home run over the left center field fence to put Michigan State up for the second time in the game, 4-3.Two walks and back-to-back singles to the grass extended the MSU lead to 6-3 after five complete innings at Varsity Field.
The Green and White offense racked up five more runs, including a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the 11-3 victory over the Nittany Lions.
Up Next:
Penn State will conclude its three-game series with the Spartans Sunday, April 9 at 1 p.m. at Varsity Field in Ypsilanti, Michigan.