After having their last series against Penn State canceled due to COVID concerns, the Spartans returned to Secchia Stadium for their first day of a three day series against Purdue (8-20).
MSU walked away from the first game with a win under their belt, 4-2 but fell short by one run in the second game, 8-7.
Notable performances in the first game come from pitcher Ashley Miller, outfielder Courtney Callahan, pitchers Jala Wright and Alli Walker.
Game One
Game one started off strong with two runs in both the bottom of the third and sixth, alongside a stellar performance from freshman righthanded pitcher Ashley Miller.
“I mean, the first game was about as good as a game we’ve played all year. I mean, we had outstanding pitching, we did not make an error,” Head Coach Jacquie Joseph said during post-game interviews. “We had ten hits and scored enough runs to win. So that was a perfect game pretty much for us.”
In the bottom of the third, teamwork inched the Spartans closer to a win.
With a single from Ladd, a push to third from Meech’s single, and a walk on Trivelpiece, Janae Wash finally brought two girls to home plate with a single to second base.
The Boilermakers score one more run in the top of the fifth, tying them with the Spartans, 2-2.
MSU brought the win home in the bottom of the sixth with base hits from Wash, Kates, Joseph, and a single to right center from Callahan brought in two RBIs.
The Spartans held a 4-2 advantage over Purdue and with a pitching change to Sarah Ladd in the top of the sixth kept the lead strong.
Ladd only let go of one base hit and struck out five of the seven batters, earning herself an ERA of 4.76.
Game Two
The Spartans started game two off with Jala Wright on the mound, who gave up five runs to Purdue in the first two innings, calling for a pitching change to right handed pitcher Alli Walker.
After being down 6-0 in the bottom of the third, freshman Zaquai Dumas hit a homerun over the center wall, bringing the energy back to the girls in green and white.
Dumas’s first homerun of the season was electrifying for the Spartans. Her homer was followed by three more base hits and two RBIs by Alexis Barroso.
“I’m seeing such exciting things that it makes me want to play her and give her opportunities,” Joseph said regarding Dumas’s home run. “I mean, she keeps getting better. I love her mentality. I love her presence.”
Two more scoreless innings for the Spartans went by until the bottom of the sixth with a homerun and an RBI from Courtney Callahan, her first of the season.
“In practice, we challenged the kids a little bit and give her credit, she took the challenge and rose up today and showed the kind of player she can be,” Joseph said regarding Callahan’s performance today. “This is the player she should be in my opinion.”
With two MSU walks in the bottom of the seventh from Purdue pitcher Kaitlyn Brannstrom, and a double to right center from Schreckengos, the Spartans gave the Boilermakers a run for their money.
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Ultimately, the Spartans fell short 8-7 but will face off against Purdue again tomorrow at Secchia Stadium.
