Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Michigan State
Spartans Strike Early in 5-2 MSU Win
4/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 26, 2006
MOUNT PLEASANT - Four straight Michigan State batters reached base with one out in the second inning and three of them came around to score as the visiting Spartans jumped out to an early lead in a 5-2 victory at Central Michigan University on Wednesday afternoon.
Chippewa starter Jill DeRoche gave up the three second-inning runs before coach Margo Jonker brought in freshman reliever Ali Pettit with two outs and two on.
Pettit got her first batter to ground out ending the inning but not before damage was done.
Dayna Feenstra reached on an error with one out and then DeRoche issued two straight walks to load the bases. Jenny Poff singled up the middle driving in two before leadoff batter Nicole Mercado plated a third run with a single to right.
The home team got right back into the game when Lindsey Calme singled to right with one out in the bottom of the second. Stephanie Crews followed with a two-run homer just inside the right field foul pole making it 3-2.
It was Crews' first homer of the season.
Pettit would give up single runs in the fourth and seventh innings. She issued a leadoff walk to Poff in the fourth and the Spartan right fielder scored on an RBI single by Kara Weigle. Poff would then drive in Dayna Feenstra with a bases loaded ground out in the seventh.
MSU (33-19) finished with nine hits while the Chippewas (16-23) had four hits and a pair of fielding errors. The Spartans stranded 10 runners and CMU five.
Junior Rachel Turney (16-8) picked up the complete-game win for MSU. She allowed four hits and two runs while fanning three and walking three.
DeRoche suffered the loss after giving up two hits and three runs (one earned) while fanning two and walking two in one and two-thirds innings.
Pettit tossed five and a third innings of relief giving up seven hits and two runs while walking two.
Amy Hudson was 2-for-3 and Crews and Lindsey Calme notched the other Chippewa hits.
Caitlin Mahoney was the lone MSU player with multiple hits (2-for-4) and Poff finished 1-for-3 with three RBI and a walk.
CMU continues its nine-game homestand this weekend with a conference doubleheader against Ball State on Friday (1 p.m.) and single games against Miami on both Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).
NOTE: The game was televised live by Comcast Local. The game will repeat twice on the network on Thursday - 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
