Softball coach Jacquie Joseph earns 650th Michigan State victory

Jacquie Joseph recorded her 650th victory as the head coach of the Michigan State softball team as her team downed Western Michigan 7-2 at Secchia Stadium on Wednesday in MSU's home opener.

Joseph, in her 24th season at Michigan State, owns a 650-665-1 mark in her tenure.  She needs 14 more wins to reach 800 total in her 29th overall season.

Freshman Kelcey Carrasco went 2-for-3 with a solo homer, while Sarah Gutknecht also homered and Ebonee Echols added a two-run triple, her national-best eighth of the season.

Aspen Williams gave WMU a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a solo homer, which was the only offense for the Broncos until a pair of singles in the sixth lead to a second run.

Bridgette Rainey earned the win to improve to 8-5 on the season, tossing five innings of three-hit ball. Jordan Watson pitched two innings of relief.

MSU entered the fourth inning trailing 1-0, and put four on the board in the frame, led off by the solo shot by Gutknecht. Carrasco added her homer in the fifth, and Echols' triple came in the top of the seventh.

MSU welcomes Maryland to Secchia Stadium for a three-game Big Ten series that begins on Friday. After 26 straight games on the road to open the season, the Spartans are scheduled to play 15 of their next 17 games in East Lansing.

- MSU Athletic Communications