EAST LANSING, MI – Michigan State softball took to Old College Field for the first time this season, welcoming Big Ten foe Indiana.
Both sides came out strong in the first two innings, each earning one run a piece. MSU sophomore Britain Beshears ripped a single to center field, sending teammate Hannah Hawley across home plate.
In the top of the second, Indiana’s Sarah Stone responded to the Spartan’s 1-0 lead by crushing a solo shot to leftfield, evening the score at one.
From there on out it became a pitching duel between Liv Grey and Brianna Copeland, with very little action from the offense.
“Liv was awesome,” coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley said. “She threw so great and just kept us in the game.”
The score remained 1-1 for the entirety of regulation, resulting in extra innings to decide the game.
The Indiana offense found its rhythm in the top of the eight, as Stone launched another home run out to left field with two runners on base, giving the Hoosiers a three-run advantage. At the end of the half-inning, MSU found itself down 6-1 in the blink of an eye.
“You always want your team to fight. We talk all the time, even if there’s one pitch left you are still in this game,” McDonald-Kelley explained.
The Spartans didn’t go down without a fight, though. Beshears hits a double down the right field line, followed by sophomore Sydney Doloszycki hitting a single out to center field to score a run, but that would be the extent of the Spartans’ comeback.
After a tough 6-2 loss, MSU will look to bounce back today, Apr. 6, at 1 pm against Indiana again.