MSU softball beats OSU to clinch Big Ten tourney spot

Kristina Zalewski tossed a four-hit shutout as Michigan State earned a 6-0 victory over Ohio State on Friday night in Columbus. The Spartans secured a spot in the Big Ten Tournament next week with the victory, and won for the fourth time in the last five games.

MSU (26-26, 7-14 B1G) took down the Buckeyes, who were the top team receiving votes in this week's NFCA top-25, for the first time in the last 13 meetings. OSU falls to 31-16-1, 12-8-1 in Conference action.

The two starting pitchers, Kristina Zalewski and Shelby Hursh, engaged in a pitchers duel through five innings, when MSU broke up a scoreless tie with a home run by Kassidy Kujawa, then added two more runs in the frame on a bases-loaded single by freshman Kaitlyn Eveland to make it a 3-0 ballgame. MSU tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh, including a two-RBI triple by Ebonee Echols to empty the bases and push the Spartan lead to 6-0.

Meanwhile, Zalewski remained in firm command of the game from her first pitch to the final out, getting six strikeouts and allowing just four hits. Her final strikeout of the night, getting pinch hitter Jayla Saibene swinging to end the game, was the 200th of the season, making Zalewski just the fourth Spartan pitcher to record 200 strikeouts in a single season. She entered the game ranked 20th in the nation in strikeouts.

The teams will meet on Saturday at Buckeye Field for the second of the three games in the series. First pitch is at 2 pm.

-MSU athletic communications