EAST LANSING— With low temperatures and possible rain approaching over the campus of Michigan State, the Spartans and Buckeyes embarked on a doubleheader Friday.
MSU went on to lose both games on home turf, dropping the first one in a 17-1 blowout, followed by a closer 7-3 defeat.
“We know what we need to do, we’ve just gotta execute it,” MSU head coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley said.
MSU welcomed No.25 Ohio State to Secchia Stadium for the first two games of a three-game series. The Spartans came into the day 9-12 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes opened the day 22-6-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
Starting in the circle for the first game was senior Faith Guidry. She came into her sixth start with a 2-3 record and an ERA of 4.97. Ohio State went with freshman Lorin Boutte to start. Making her 12th start of the season she came in with a 10-4 record and a 3.41 ERA.
Ohio State immediately continued its momentum of a four-game winning streak with a leadoff solo shot from sophomore Hadley Parisien. The Spartans limited the damage to just one, stranding runners on second and third.
Guidry’s outing came to a close early after allowing five runs in the second frame, including a bases-loaded, two-run double by sophomore Sami Bewick, immediately followed by a three-run home run from senior Kami Kortokrax.
Sophomore Ava Mullen came in relief for MSU. She started hot by striking out Ohio State’s top hitter sophomore Jasmyn Burns, then forcing a foul flyout to stop the bleeding at 6-0. In the bottom half, the Spartans got their first hit with a single from senior Kaelin Cash but still remained scoreless.
MSU had an error-riddled third frame, three errors allowed Ohio State to continue piling on runs, adding 11 runs to their tally. Mullen’s outing came to an end after giving up five hits, walking five and 10 runs.
Freshman Ella Cunningham came into relief and couldn’t stop the Buckeye attack, inheriting a bases-loaded situation, she allowed a grand slam, before getting out of the inning in the next at-bat.
The fourth inning started rough for the Spartans; Cunningham’s shift ended after just a third of an inning. She gave up two hits while walking one.
Freshman Carsyn Cassady became MSU’s fourth pitcher relieving Cunningham. She started hot with three straight strikeouts, stranding the bases loaded and giving Ohio State its first scoreless frame.
Cash gave the Spartans their second hit of the game, and first off Layna Gerhard, who came in relief for Boutte. The Ohio State starter allowed one hit, one walk and two strikeouts in three innings. Nothing materialized from the hit for the Green and White, remaining shutout.
MSU gave Ohio State its second straight scoreless frame in the top of the fifth, only allowing one base runner. In the bottom half the Spartans finally scored their first run with a double from fifth-year Collette Allen and a triple from freshman Sophie Holverstott.
However, MSU couldn’t fulfill the gargantuan task of scoring nine runs to prevent the mercy rule, ending the first game in a five-inning defeat, 17-1. Boutte was credited with the win for Ohio State and Guidry was handed the loss for MSU.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Boutte again started for Ohio State, while freshman Jacey Schuler took the circle for MSU. Schuler made her 13th start with a 5-6 record and even a 3.00 ERA.
Like the first game, the Buckeyes scored one run in the first inning, a Bewick double, followed by Burns reaching base on an error, opening the scoring for Ohio State. The Spartans wasted no time responding this time when sophomore Hannah Hawley and junior Britain Beshears hit back-to-back homeruns to give MSU its first lead of the day.
The second and third innings were scoreless for both sides, each team registered a single in the third, while the game remained at a 2-1 MSU advantage. Boutte’s second start of the day ended again after three innings. She allowed three hits and got one strikeout and gave up two runs. Junior Kennedy Kay came in relief in the fourth and registered a 1, 2, 3 frame.
The scoring deadlock was broken in the top of the fifth when Kortokrax singled to tie the game at two apiece. MSU couldn’t respond, leaving the score at 2-2 heading into the final two innings.
After a lineout to start the sixth, Ohio State had three straight singles off Schuler, which led to the Buckeyes taking the lead from a sac fly, via sophomore Taylor Cruse. The Spartans kept it close as that was the only run allowed in the top part of the frame.
MSU tied the game right back up after a walk by Cash, who was pinch run for by freshman Hannah Herman, was cashed in by a double off the wall from Allen, tying the game at three before the seventh inning.
Schuler remained in the circle for the final inning. Her strong outing was hampered by three straight home runs, first a two-run go-ahead shot from senior Buckeye Reagan Milliken, then a solo shot from senior Kaitlyn Farley and finally another solo homer from graduate student Morgan Frye.
Schuler’s day was done after a string of round trips. She ended 6.2 innings with 12 hits, seven runs, two walks and a strikeout. Senior Madison Taylor replaced Schuler, walking two before notching a strikeout to end the inning.
MSU couldn’t find any more scoring in the bottom half of the frame, dropping the second game of the doubleheader 7-3. Schuler was credited with the loss, while Kay was credited with the win. She pitched four innings of one-run ball, with two hits, strikeouts and walks allowed. With the dual defeats, MSU falls to 9-14 overall in conference play.
“To come off a game one where we got beat so badly and didn’t turn it around, I mean that’s a big deal,” McDonald-Kelley said. “I think our team has shown really good fight all year and I thought the first game we didn’t.”
Big Ten play will take a quick pause for the Green and White as they next welcome non-conference Central Michigan to Secchia Stadium on March 26 at 5 p.m.
