MSU head softball coach Jacquie Joseph said she wanted to use the team's first Big Ten road contests to see how her team measures up to tougher squads.
By splitting a four-game series with Minnesota and Wisconsin, Joseph said her team is still good enough to be mentioned with the top teams in the Big Ten.
"I felt we should have come out of this weekend 3-1," she said. "2-2 is a disappointment. But I still think we're one of the top teams in the Big Ten."
The Spartans (26-11 overall, 6-3 Big Ten) defeated the Badgers (13-20, 2-8) 4-0 and 4-1 in a Sunday doubleheader.
Junior pitcher Jessica Beech continues to be phenomenal on the mound as she recorded two complete-game victories, striking out 14 batters. Beech also hit a two-run shot in the second game to secure the Spartans' victory.
"I think I got lucky a little bit," she said. "I'm just glad we were able to pick up these two wins and not go home empty."
The Spartans needed the wins after being swept by the Golden Gophers (29-13-1, 6-4). In two games, Minnesota outscored MSU 11-1. In Friday's matchup, a 2-1 Spartan loss, Beech (19-4) suffered just her fourth loss of the season. Beech gave up six hits and matched that total in strikeouts, while walking just one batter.
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning. But with one out and a runner on first base, Minnesota's Jordanne Nygren, the Big Ten's all-time home run queen, smashed a two-run shot over the center field wall for the final score.
"It was a high pitch, but she's just an incredible hitter," Beech said. "She was just better than me on that one."
MSU squandered an opportunity to take the lead in the top of the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and only one out, senior third base Brittney Green hit a line drive that was caught by Gopher first base Hailee Nanchy, who doubled off senior shortstop Margaret Schick to end the threat.
"We should have won that game," Joseph said. "I think we left something like 10 runners on base. We had chances to score more runs, we just didn't capitalize on them."
While the opening game of the series had a dramatic feel to it, Saturday's contest in Minneapolis was a laugher. The Gophers posted a 9-0 win over the Spartans, handing MSU its worst defeat of the season.
Minnesota lit up sophomore pitcher Stephanie Christner (5-5) and freshman hurler Katie Joosten to the tune of 13 hits, including three home runs in the first three innings. "They just flat-out shelled us," Joseph said. "They hit everything we threw, and we couldn't mount an attack at all."
Offensively, the Spartans managed just five hits.
While this might not have been the most successful road trip, the Spartans are still confident they can finish high in the Big Ten.
"I think anything can happen," sophomore second base Janette Hurtado said. "Any team can come through and bite a team in the butt. But if we just stick to our game plan, I don't think anybody can stop us."
