Michigan State roundup: Softball splits DH with Penn State

Michigan State hit three home runs - two from the bat of sophomore Kaitlyn Eveland to tie a school record - as the Spartans took the back end of a doubleheader against Penn State on Saturday, 11-3 in five innings. MSU is now 20-12 on the season (4-4 Big Ten) heading into the Sunday series finale.

Due to flooding at MSU's Old College Field complex, the softball games were relocated to Victory Field on the campus of Eastern Michigan.

Eveland homered in the first (a three-run shot) and had a solo homer in the third, and Lea Foerster hit her team-best ninth of the season in the bottom of the fifth with one out, ending the game with a three-run homer for the final 11-3 margin. Bridgette Rainey earned her 11th win of the season by scattering five hits and striking out five.

MSU opened up a 3-0 lead after Eveland's first homer in the third, and the Nittany Lions came back to tie the game in the top of the third. Eveland gave her team back the lead with her solo homer in the bottom of the third. MSU plated two on a Kelcey Carrasco RBI single in the fourth and then exploded for five runs in the fifth to finish the game on the run rule.

Michigan State opened a three-game series with a 7-3 loss to snap a four-game winning streak.

Carrasco and Lexi White each had two hits for MSU while Sarah Gutknecht homered and Ebonee Echols continued to hold the national lead with her ninth triple of the season. Tori Dubois led Penn State with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, including a home run. Shelby Miller also homered for PSU.

Despite 10 hits on the day, MSU made three errors that helped keep innings going for the Nittany Lions, and also stranded eight runners. Kristina Zalewski got the start for MSU and went five innings, scattering six hits and walking five, striking out one. Jordan Watson allowed two earned runs in her two innings of relief work.

MEN'S TENNIS

Spartans shut out by No. 29 Wisconsin

Michigan State suffered a 7-0 loss to No. 29 Wisconsin on Saturday in East Lansing.

Wisconsin was the fifth ranked opponent Michigan State has faced this spring. MSU moves to 10-12 on the season and 0-6 in Big Ten Conference play, while Wisconsin improved to 14-3 and 5-1 in conference action.

Junior Michael Dube and sophomore Colin Harvey dropped a 6-4 match at No. 1 doubles but junior Brett Forman and sophomore Billy Shisler answered quickly with a 7-6 (7-5) win at the No. 3 doubles spot. Junior Jasper Koenen and freshman Doug Francken battled at No. 2 doubles but fell to Lamar Remy and Chase Colton 7-6 (7-3) to concede the doubles point.

The Spartans could not tally a point in singles action but did put pressure on the Badgers, pushing three matches into a third set. At No. 6 singles, Shisler dropped 6-1, bounced back in the second set to win 6-2 but went on to fall 6-4 in the third set. Forman also had a three-set match picking up a 6-4 set win but went on to fall 6-4, 1-0 (10-7) at No. 1 singles. Koenen’s match against Josef Dodridge was the last to finish at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-4, 7-5. 

Dube fell to Osgar O’Hoisin at No. 3 singles 5-7 (7-5), 6-3, while sophomore Ivan Rakic dropped his decision 6-3, 6-4 at No. 4 singles. Sophomore Alexander Kim also dropped his match 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 5 singles position.

Michigan State will return to action tomorrow, April 9. The Spartans will play host to Minnesota at 12 p.m. at the MSU Outdoor Tennis Courts.

ROWING

Spartans split double dual on Lake Ovid

Michigan State held its first home event in 2017, welcoming Wisconsin and Minnesota for a Big Ten Double Dual on Saturday. The Spartans got strong performances from their varsity eight and novice eight once again, and finished the day with a split of the two dual races. The Spartans fell to No. 11 Wisconsin 46-22, but rebounded with an afternoon victory over Minnesota, 34-26.

The racing was held on Lake Ovid in Lansingburg at Sleepy Hollow State Park. The Spartans, No. 16 in this week's CRCA national poll, fielded just five boats due to injuries, forcing head coach Matt Weise to scratch his second four late Thursday.

In the opening session vs. Wisconsin, the Spartan novice eight posted a win over the Badgers, clocked in 6:46.35, about a half a length of open water ahead of UW (6:52.35). The final event of the morning was the varsity eight race, and the Spartans were right with UW, but finished in second place by 0.88 seconds - MSU recorded a 6:29.9, and Wisconsin was about a seat ahead in 6:28.41.

Wisconsin's second varsity eight was close to its varsity eight time - its 6:29.44 was ahead of the Spartans (6:53.34) at the finish. In the four, the Spartans were clocked in a time of 7:38.8, while Wisconsin took the victory in a time of 7:18.82. The second novice eight was a three-boat race between the Spartans, Badgers and Michigan - the Spartans were in third in a time of 7:23.34 - just six-tenths back of second-place Michigan (7:22.74). Wisconsin won that race in a time of 7:04.12.

In the afternoon, the tone-setters for the Spartans were once again the varsity and novice eights, but the Spartans experienced more success across the board vs. the Golden Gophers. MSU took the marquee event in a time of 6:34.04, more than 13 seconds ahead of Minnesota (6:47.63). MSU's novice entry was more than 28 seconds out in front of the boat from Minnesota, as MSU recorded a 6:50.24, while Minnesota turned in a 7:18.44.

The Spartan four earned a win on the day with a time of 7:29.82, which outpaced the Gopher boat by 7.17 seconds (7:36.99).

In the second varsity eight, the Gophers were about a seat of open water ahead of MSU, which was clocked in 6:49.08 (Minnesota turned in a 6:43.51). In a three-boat race once again in the second novice eight, MSU was third in a time of 7:26.75, just under six seconds behind the Gophers (7:21.32) and almost 15 behind Wisconsin (7.11.85).

- MSU Athletic Communications