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Spartans hope to get on track against Boilermakers

April 17, 2008

The MSU softball team will try to bounce back from a lackluster weekend to battle Purdue in a two-game weekend series.

But it won’t be easy, especially for a team that’s slumped as of late, MSU head coach Jacquie Joseph said.

The Spartans’ six-game winning streak was snapped last Friday by Iowa. A loss to Central Michigan on Wednesday pushed MSU’s record to 1-4 in its past five games.

“Purdue is a very good ball club,” Joseph said. “It’s a critical series for us. I’m just hoping that playing at home might help us and that better weather might help us. Purdue is playing very well right now.”

Purdue also leads the series between the two squads 17-15.

“They’re a scrappy team,” freshman shortstop Bianca Mejia said. “As soon as they hit the field, it’ll be a good game. We’ve got to come out with a lot of energy.”

Boilermakers pitcher Dana Alcocer set a season-high personal best Tuesday by striking out nine Valparaiso batters in a 3-0 shutout victory, and their offense is nothing to scoff at either.

“Purdue puts a lot of pressure, offensively,” senior outfielder Nikki Nicosia said. “They are very scrappy and by that, it’s just they steal a lot, they have a lot of speed and then try to make you play their game.

“We just have to play our game and to not let their game affect us.”

To be successful this weekend, the team needs to attack Purdue’s lead runner, get the outs, play solid defense and not throw the ball around, Nicosia added.

“We really need to have an attack mode,” she said. “We’ve got to score first and score every inning. Never quit, and never say die. No matter how many runs they score, we have to be determined to score more.”

So far this season, the Boilermakers have posted a 5-3 Big Ten record and are undefeated on the road in league play.

First pitch is set for 4 p.m. Friday at Old College Field.

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