Michigan State Softball Falls In Tough Extra Inning Affair to Central Michigan, 8-3

 

 

 

EAST LANSING, Mich. – In what turned out to be Michigan State’s 12th longest game in program history, the Spartan softball team suffered a heartbreaking, 8-3, 11-inning loss to Central Michigan on Tuesday, April 26 in East Lansing at Secchia Stadium. MSU falls to an even 21-21 overall on the season with the loss.

 

The highlight of the game for the Green and White was senior Lindsey Hansen’s two home runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Hansen’s homers give her 16 on the year and 38 in her career. Her two home runs also tie MSU’s single-game record. Hansen also moves into a tie for ninth all-time in the Big Ten for a single-season performance.

 

The scoring started with Central Michigan jumping out in front of the Spartans in the second inning with the first run of the game. Cory DeLamielleure put the ball narrowly inside the left field line to score Molly Coldren from second, who reached base with a double to left field.

 

Hansen tied up the game at one in the bottom of the fourth with a blast over the fence in left, narrowly reaching the Red Cedar River in the air.

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Following a CMU run in both the fifth and sixth, Hansen played the heroic role once again with her second shot of the day, this time over the opposite fence in right center, scoring junior Lori Padilla who reached base with a slap up the middle of the infield.

 

The Chippewas used small ball in order to manufacture both of their runs in the fifth and sixth innings. With the Spartans attempting to intentionally walk Amanda Patrick, the first pitch got away from the MSU catcher, allowing Brittney Horan to score from third base off the passed ball.

 

In the sixth, with runners on second and third, Summer Knoop laid a suicide squeeze down the third base line to score a streaking Coldren from third, as the MSU third baseman made the play at first. CMU held a 3-1 lead over the Spartans at the middle of the sixth.

 

After four scoreless innings by both sides with the game tied at 3-3, five runs in the top of the 11th ended the contest with Central Michigan holding an 8-3 advantage.

 

After having Knoop fly out as the leadoff batter in the top of the 11th, the Spartans forced Macy Merchant to hit into a routine groundball to short, but a bobbled ball at first allowed Merchant to reach base safely. Two batters later, Michigan State saw Danielle Cabrera groundout at second for what would have been the third out of the inning. CMU, however, made the best of the new life, and with two outs, Patrick homered to right field for the first three runs of the inning, driving in Horan and Merchant.

 

Kari Seddon followed Patrick as the next batter with a single through the left side. Coldren notched the second homer of the inning for the Chippewas with a shot straight away over the center field fence. CMU ended the five run inning with each run unearned.

 

Moving her team to 25-17 overall on the year was Seddon, who pitched a complete game for the Chippewas. Seddon moved her individual record to 10-6 on the year while limited MSU to three earned runs on eight hits. Seddon also recorded five strikeouts against three walks.

 

Freshman Cassee Layne pitched the first 4.1 innings of the contest for the Spartans, earning a no decision. Layne posted two runs, one earned, on five CMU hits. Taking the loss for the Green and White was sophomore Shelby Wise, falling to 3-4 on the year. In 6.1 innings of work, Wise allowed six runs, one earned, on seven hits. Wise also struck out two batters faced.

 

Junior Rebecca Rogers pitched the final out for Michigan State in the top of the 11th, throwing 0.1 innings.

 

The Spartans return to action tomorrow (April 27) when they host in-state foe Oakland for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. MSU looks to snap its four-game skid with its two contests against the Golden Grizzlies at Secchia Stadium.