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Softball tops Wisconsin 9-4, moves back to .500 record

May 4, 2013

The MSU softball team beat Wisconsin (38-10, 15-6 Big Ten) 9-4 in the first game of MSU’s last regular season series.

With the win, the Spartans (23-23 overall, 8-9 Big Ten) pulled its record back to .500.

Junior pitcher Kelly Smith struck out nine batters in 5 1/3 innings pitched, and senior third baseman Jayme O’Bryant tallied three RBI’s.

MSU put the first points on the board in the first inning, when junior designated player Sarah Bowling reached first and gave MSU a 2-0 lead after an error by Badger senior second baseman Shannel Blackshear.

Wisconsin responded in the bottom of the first, tallying four runs on three hits. Badger senior catcher Whitney Massey doubled for 2 RBI’s, and junior shortstop Stephanie Pearce homered for two more.

MSU matched the Badger’s scoring total in the second inning, producing four of their own. Senior center fielder Kylene Hopkins scored sophomore left fielder Alyssa McBride on a single, and O’Bryant doubled to score Hopkins and sophomore first baseman McKinzie Freimuth minutes later. Bowling scored O’Bryant for MSU’s last run of the inning.

MSU scored two more runs at the top of the fifth, when sophomore pinch hitter Stephanie Sanders sent senior second baseman Jenny Ramsaier and sophomore Ellie Stoffer across the plate on a double.

The final run for MSU was scored during the top of the seventh inning. With the bases loaded, Stoffer scored after O’Bryant walked to first.

The Spartans return to action Sunday, May 5th with a double header against the Badgers. Game one will begin at 1:05 p.m. and game two begins at 3 p.m.

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