SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
No. 22 Michigan (34-11, 16-1 B1G) posted multiple runs in four innings to earn a 16-1 win over Michigan State in five innings on Tuesday night in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines plated four unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a three-run homer by MacKenzie Nemitz, added three more in the bottom of the second which included a solo shot by Katie Alexander, and got a grand slam by Faith Canfield that contributed to a nine-run fourth. Meghan Beaubien went the full five innings, scattering three hits.
McKenna Gregory [msuspartans.com] started the game and went 3.1 innings, and was relieved by Alli Walker [msuspartans.com] in the bottom of the fourth.
Ebonee Echols [msuspartans.com] had an RBI double for the Spartans, while her sister Charla and Kaitlyn Eveland [msuspartans.com] also had base hits for the visitors.
The Spartans (15-29, 3-13 Big Ten) dropped their seventh straight game, all against teams in the top four of the Big Ten Standings. MSU's road gets no easier, as the Spartans host league-leading Northwestern this weekend in their final home series of the season..
TOP PERFORMERS
- Ebonee Echols [msuspartans.com] had an RBI double in the third inning.
- Charla Echols [msuspartans.com] stretched out her season-best hitting streak to eight games with a single in the third inning.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- The Wolverines took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Faith Canfield led off the game with a single to right, and McKenna Gregory [msuspartans.com] got the next two batters on a fielder's choice and a fly ball to center. She lost Alex Sobczak with a walk on a 3-2 count, and an infield error on a Taylor Uden infield offering allowed the first run to score. Mackenzie Nemitz stepped in and sent a fly ball far over the wall in right to make it a 4-0 game, all on unearned runs.
- MSU got a pair of runners on in the top of the second, as Kaitlyn Eveland [msuspartans.com] legged out an infield single and Melanie Baccay [msuspartans.com]walked, both with one out on the board. Meghan Beaubien got the next two batters to prevent either runner from coming around.
- Katie Alexander homered to lead off the bottom of the second and push the lead out to 5-0. A bunt single by Natalia Rodriguez was followed by a hit batter to put two runners on. Gregory got a line ball out for the first out of the inning, but Lexie Blair and Sobczak followed with back-to-back singles to plate two more runs. Gregory retired Madison Uden on a fly ball and Nemitz on a swinging strikeout to end the inning.
- In the top of the third, Caitie Ladd [msuspartans.com] was hit by a pitch, and Charla Echols [msuspartans.com] singled to shallow center. Ebonee Echols [msuspartans.com] stepped in with two outs and hit a ball hard to the wall in left field for an RBI double, as Ladd came around to score.
- In the home half of the fourth, Blair led it off with a double to left center, and she went to third on a long fly ball to center by Sobczak. A walk to Uden put runners at the corners for Nemitz, who snapped it up the left field line for a two-run double that scored both runners and made it a 9-1 ballgame. Back-to-back singles by Haley Hoogenraad and Alexander plated a 10th run for the Wolverines. A hit batter loaded the bases with one out, and the Spartans made a pitching change, bringing on Alli Walker [msuspartans.com]. Canfield stepped in and sent a home run over the wall in deep center to push Michigan's lead to 14-1. Walker loaded the bases, got a ground ball that allowed another run to score for the second out of the frame, and then allowed a single to score a ninth run in the frame.
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