Despite losing 18 of its last 19 contests and fighting its way through a recent hitting slump, the MSU softball team maintains a loose attitude, according to sophomore pitcher Cassee Layne. The Spartans (11-34 overall, 0-15 Big Ten) travel to Lincoln, Neb., this weekend for their first series with fourth-place Nebraska (29-18, 10-5) as a member of the Big Ten.
The MSU softball team gets a much needed break from Big Ten play today when it travels to South Bend, Ind., for a 6 p.m. matchup with Notre Dame.
The elusive first Big Ten win of the season escaped the MSU softball team once again Sunday as Iowa completed the weekend series sweep of the Spartans with a 4-1 victory at Secchia Stadium at Old College Field. In game one on Saturday, MSU (11-33 overall, 0-15 Big Ten) was shut out 6-0 and managed only four hits against a seven-strikeout performance by Iowa (20-22, 10-5) pitcher Kayla Massey.Only three Spartans got hits in the second game, a 7-1 decision, continuing a poor hitting streak for MSU.
The offensive woes for the MSU softball team continued as the Spartans mustered just a single run between both games of a doubleheader against Iowa Saturday at Secchia Stadium at Old College Field. After being shutout 6-0 in game one thanks to a seven strikeout outing by the Hawkeyes’ pitcher Kayla Massey, the hitting slump continued into game two where MSU (11-32 overall, 0-14 Big Ten) fell 7-1.
The MSU softball team is going into its home series against Iowa with a positive mindset to hopefully end their Big Ten losing streak. The Spartans (11-30 overall, 0-12 Big Ten) face off against the Hawkeyes (17-22, 7-5) with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday at Secchia Stadium at Old College Field.
Three up, three down. The MSU softball team remains the lone Big Ten team without a conference win as it was swept by No. 20 Michigan in a three-game weekend series in which the Spartans (11-30 overall, 0-12 Big Ten) were unable to score a single run.
For the first four innings, the MSU softball team was step-for-step with No. 20 Michigan at Secchia Stadium at Old College Field. But then came the fifth. Freshman pitcher Carly Nielsen threw four innings of shutout softball before letting up a one-out, two-RBI single to U-M’s Haylie Wagner that sparked an eight-run fifth inning that ended the Spartans’ day early, falling at home 8-0.
On a four-game losing streak, the MSU softball team will be competing against rival Big Ten team Michigan this weekend.
Two batters in, it became clear that the MSU softball team was in for an interesting game. With Eastern Michigan’s Jessica Richards perched on third, the Eagles’ Katy Blaharski attempted a steal from first base. However, the throw from MSU senior catcher Brett Williams was mishandled, allowing Richards to go home and Blaharski to return to first base safely. The score was the first in what would be a five-run first inning from which the Spartans (11-27 overall, 0-9 Big Ten) would be unable to recover, as they fell to the visiting Eagles 6-3 Wednesday afternoon.
After the MSU softball team took a step forward by snapping its seven-game losing streak with a win at Central Michigan last Wednesday, it took three steps backward when the Spartans were swept by Penn State during the weekend. Now, MSU (11-26 overall, 0-9 Big Ten) is looking to right the ship once again as it prepares for a midweek game Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Secchia Stadium at Old College Field against Eastern Michigan, before it gears up to face in-state rival Michigan for a three-game series this weekend.
The MSU softball team took three losses this weekend in its three-game series against Penn State in University Park, Penn. The Spartans (11-26 overall, 0-9 Big Ten) just broke a seven-game losing streak with a win against Central Michigan last week before their losses this weekend.
After breaking its seven-game losing streak, the MSU softball team is feeling prepared for its three-game series against Penn State — and hoping for its first conference win of the season. The Spartans(11-23 overall, 0-6 Big Ten) beat Central Michigan (14-14) 6-1 on Wednesday in Mount Pleasant, Mich. The team will kick off its weekend at 2 p.m. on Saturday with a doubleheader at University Park, Penn.
The MSU softball team was able to snap a seven-game losing streak when it knocked off the Central Michigan Chippewas 6-1 at Varsity Softball Field in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Leading 1-0 heading into the top of the seventh inning, the Spartans (11-23 overall, 0-6 Big Ten) blew the lead open on a five-run rally kick-started by a single from junior outfield Kylene Hopkins that drove in a pair of runs.
Looking to snap a seven-game losing streak, the MSU softball team is headed to Mount Pleasant, Mich., on Wednesday to face Central Michigan in a one-off midweek game at 4 p.m. The Spartans (10-23 overall, 0-6 Big Ten) are out for revenge after suffering an 8-4 loss from the hands of the Chippewas in the Hoosier Classic earlier this season. The Chippewas lead MSU in the overall series 58-25 and have come away victorious in the last two meetings.
For the second straight weekend, the MSU softball team suffered a weekend sweep at the hands of a Big Ten opponent. The Spartans (10-23 overall, 0-6 Big Ten) dropped both games of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, 9-4 and then 14-1 in a game that ended after the fifth inning because of the mercy rule.
It just wasn’t the MSU softball team’s day. In the Spartans’ (10-22 overall, 0-5 Big Ten) first conference series of the seaon against Ohio State (20-11, 4-1) at Secchia Stadium at Old College Field, they lost the first two games in Saturday’s double-header. Despite attempting to make a comeback, MSU fell 9-4 in the first game before being mercied, 14-1, in the second game as the Buckeyes made contact at nearly every at-bat.
After playing 29 straight games on the road to begin the season, the MSU softball team opened its home season at Secchia Stadium with an 8-1 loss against Butler.
Over an hour before practice began, members of the MSU softball team were on the field joking, practicing, but mainly preparing. Coming off a loss to Purdue last weekend, the Spartans (10-19 overall, 0-3 Big Ten) have been preparing for a busy weekend home. Their home opener will take place Thursday when MSU goes up against Butler at 4 p.m. at Secchia Stadium. Continuing into the weekend, MSU will host Ohio State in a three-game series, starting Saturday at 1 p.m.
After seven consecutive weekends of traveling around the country from Florida to California and finishing in West Lafayette, Ind., this weekend, the MSU softball team is exhausted, and it showed when the team was swept by Purdue in a three-game series.
In its Big Ten opener, the MSU softball team suffered a 2-0 loss to Purdue on Sunday, bringing a close to its three-game weekend series in West Lafayette, Ind.