1
RutgersRUTGERS31-20, 12-8 B1G
4
WinnerMichigan StateMSU17-30, 4-16 B1G
RutgersRUTGERS
31-20, 12-8 B1G
1
Final
4
Michigan StateMSU
17-30, 4-16 B1G
Winner
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers RUTGERS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Michigan State MSU | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 4 | 8 | 0 |
W: Grey, Liv (11-13) L: Boyd, Mattie (18-8) S: Taylor, Madison (2)
- Summary
- Box Score
Matthew Mitchell Photography
Game Recap: Softball |
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Playing in honor of its six seniors, Michigan State softball defeated Rutgers, 4-1, on Sunday afternoon at Secchia Stadium to wrap up the weekend series.
MSU improves to 17-30 (4-16 B1G) while Rutgers drops to 31-20 (12-8 B1G).
The Spartans honored each of their six seniors prior to Sunday's action, with Ashlyn Roberts, Alexis Ross, Jenae Wash, Liv Grey, Anna Fox and AJ Militello being recognized. Militello, who suffered a season-ending injury in the non-conference portion of the schedule, made a ceremonial start in right field.
Grey (11-13) pitched 5.2 innings in the circle allowing one run on five hits, while fanning six to pick up her 11th win of the campaign. Junior Madison Taylor earned her second save of the year pitching 1.1 scoreless innings.
Liv earns her sixth strikeout of the afternoon to end the fifth!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/3kW7m5bl50
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 28, 2024
Sophom*ores Hannah Hawley and Britain Beshears each had two hits and reached base three times apiece for the Spartans. Hawley drove in one on a sacrifice fly and Beshears drove herself in on a solo homer in the third inning. Senior Alexis Ross and junior Macy Lee each reached twice with a single and a walk. Junior Mik Anthony walked twice to raise her B1G on-base percentage to .512.
Back-to-back singles by Hawley and Fox put two on early in the first for MSU, with a Beshears walk loading the bases. Anthony worked a full count walk to drive in the first run of the game for MSU.
Mik works a bases loaded walk to give us a 1-0 lead in the first!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/HtGdhQTtYi
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 28, 2024
Scoring continued for the Spartans in the second after Ross led-off the inning with a bunt single. Ross swiped second for her 18th stolen base of the season, tying her for ninth in program history for single season steals (Nikki Nicosia, 2005 / Carrie Carpenter, 1998). A wild pitch moved Ross to third where she'd be driven in on a sac fly by Hawley.
With that stolen base, Alexis Ross moves into a tie for 9th in program history for single season steals (18)! #GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/9r2iFLn6vY
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 28, 2024
With one out in the third, Beshears rocked her 14th home run of the season with a solo shot to left. That homer put the Novi, Mich. native into a two-way tie for second in program history alongside Lea Foerster (14, 2017).
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 28, 2024The second-most home runs in Spartan softball history!
Britain Beshears rocks her 14th home run of the season to tie Lea Foerster for #2 all-time at MSU.#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/YrvsU5z18F
Looking to add insurance runs, Michigan State loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. Rutgers worked out of trouble however, retiring the next two Spartan batters. MSU found that insurance with two outs in the sixth stanza. Beshears reached base on an error allowing Fox to score from second.
A sticky situation in the seventh nearly led to disaster when Rutgers loaded the bases with two outs. Ross turned a heads up double-play to earn the first two outs of the inning for MSU, catching a shallow fly to center and firing a strike to second base to nab the lead runner. Beshears then made the game-saving play with bases loaded, diving to her right to snare a would-be run scoring liner to end the game.
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 28, 2024Victory for MSU!
Britain Beshears does her best wonder woman impression and snags the liner for the final out!
Michigan State 4, Rutgers 1#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/NAnn8vOn9H
UP NEXT
Michigan State will remain at home on Wednesday, May 1 when it welcomes Oakland to Secchia Stadium for its 2024 home finale. First pitch is set for 5:00 p.m. MSU's regular season will conclude next weekend in West Lafayette, Ind. at Purdue.
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