Michigan State softball gets no-hit by Northwestern in Big Ten tournament semifinals
After upsetting top-seeded Michigan in the quarterfinals, the Michigan State softball team saw its season come to an end in the Big Ten tournament semifinals, falling to No. 4 seed Northwestern, 11-0, in five innings Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin.
Northwestern pitcher Morgan Newport threw a complete-game no-hitter, striking out four batters and walking one.
The Spartans only had two baserunners reach base in the contest. Caitie Ladd drew a first-inning walk and Katie Quinlan reached on an error in the second.
Kristina Zalewski took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) in 1 1/3 innings. Bridgette Rainey allowed five runs on four hits in 1/3 of an inning before giving way to McKenna Gregory, who gave up one run in 3 1/3 innings.
The trio combined for three strikeouts as the Spartans finish the season with a 26-26 record.
Quarterfinals
In the biggest win over its in-state rival in more than a decade, Michigan State advanced to the semifinals with a 7-0 victory over No. 16 Michigan late Friday night.
The 8-seeded Spartans defeated the top-seeded Wolverines after a pair of regular-season losses - a 1-0 loss in Ann Arbor on April 11 and an 8-0 defeat at Secchia Stadium on May 2. MSU eliminated the Wolverines in the Big Ten quarterfinals for the second straight season, winning 4-3 last year.
Zalewski tossed a three-hit shutout for her 15th complete game of the season.
"This was just a solid effort from the first pitch to the last," said Michigan State coach Jacquie Joseph. "I loved our approach, and I thought that Kristina Zalewski showed that she can be one of the best pitchers in the country. I've said that I liked the way we were playing ball over the last few weeks. Maybe its the seniors with a sense of urgency, but they've really set a nice standard and everyone is just dialed in right now. We'll get our rest and get ready to play tomorrow."
FULL HIGHLIGHTS BELOW:
The game was delayed nearly six hours by inclement weather, starting after midnight EST. With a game-time temperature of 45 degrees and a steady shower throughout, Zalewski was masterful from the first pitch. She struck out 10 batters and walked four.
Lea Foerster went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI while Kaitlyn Eveland was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks.
The victory was the largest for MSU over Michigan since an identical 7-0 victory on May 5, 2007.
MORE:MSU's Lea Foerster earns first-team All-Big Ten honors
The Spartans scored twice in the second inning and five in the fifth inning to build a 7-0 lead, chasing Big Ten Freshman of the Year Meghan Beaubien from the game. The Spartans scored those five fifth-inning runs on just two base hits, as Beaubien walked five and struck out five in addition to surrendering six base hits and allowing seven runs, six of them earned.
Be sure to check out this video below of the Spartan players having a little fun with Foerster during her post-game interview.