MSU roundup: Softball team routed by Notre Dame, 11-3

Notre Dame exploded for a six-run fifth inning to blow open a two-run contest and went on to an 11-3 victory over Michigan State on Wednesday afternoon. The Spartans fall to 15-8 overall, while the Irish even their record at 13-13 on the season.

Down 4-0 after the first inning, MSU battled back to make it a 5-3 ballgame on a home run by Lea Foerster in the third and an RBI triple by Ebonee Echols and a sacrifice fly by senior Sarah Gutknecht in the fifth.

MSU gave up double-digit hits for the fourth straight game, as the Irish tallied 11 hits in addition to taking advantage of 10 walks and a pair of hit batters.

Bridgette Rainey got the start and went 2.1 innings in taking the loss, surrendering five earned runs on four hits and striking out two. Jordan Watson came on in relief and also threw 2.1 innings, surrendering seven hits.

The Spartans begin Big Ten play at 6 p.m. Friday at Purdue, where they will tangle with the Boilermakers in a three-game weekend series.

Women's golf

Spartans Finish Sixth in The Briar’s Creek Invitational

JOHNS ISLAND, South Carolina - The Michigan State women’s golf team wrapped up the Briar’s Creek Invitational in Johns Island, South Carolina, on Tuesday, finishing the tournament at 8-over par 872 (288-296-288) to take sixth place. The Spartans’ even-par 288 in Tuesday’s final round was the third-lowest score of the day in the 18-team field that included 10 teams in the Golfstat top 50.

Helped by a pair of even-par 288s in rounds one and three at The Golf Club at Briar's Creek, the Spartans’ 8-over par 872 marked their lowest team score of the season.

Katie Sharp led all Spartans with a 1-under par 215 to take eighth place. After an even-par 72 and 2-over par 74 in rounds one and two, respectively, that had her in 27th place, Sharp shot a season-best 3-under par 69 on Tuesday. Sharp birdied four of the last five holes and had a team-high six birdies on the day.

Sarah Burnham and Allyson Geer both tied for 22nd place at 3-over par 219.​

Paz Marfa Sans finished 9-over par 225, good for 53rd place. She had a pair of 2-over par 74s in rounds one and two and then shot a 5-over par 77 on Tuesday.

Like Sharp and Burnham, Carolyn Markley also posted her best round of the tournament on Tuesday. Markley tied her season best with a 1-under par 71 in the final round and finished 12-over par 228 (75-82-71) for the tournament.

No. 6 Florida won the event with a tournament record 15-under par 849 (277-286-286).​ Maria Torres of Florida claimed medalist honors with a 7-under par 209.

- MSU Athletic Communications