Softball Drops Close Match with Michigan State

Friday, April 28

Piscataway, N.J.

3:00 PM

Rutgers University

12-32, 3-13

Michigan State

26-19, 8-10

Michigan State

Rutgers

Apr 28 | Softball

Box Score

April 28, 2017

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - In just its fourth home game of the season, the Rutgers softball team was edged in a close match with Michigan State, falling 4-2 in extra-innings on Friday afternoon at the RU Softball Complex.

Despite the loss, sophomore Whitney Jones tossed a career-high eight innings, allowing no walks and posting six scoreless innings of work. Five different Scarlet Knights added hits, while unior Sierra Maddox added an RBI as well for RU (12-32, 3-13 Big Ten).

Michigan State (26-19, 8-10 Big Ten) was led by Ebonee Echols with three hits. In the circle, Kristina Zalewski picked up the complete-game win.

In the top of the first, MSU used a leadoff home run from Lea Foerster for a 1-0 lead in the contest.

RU responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame. After a hit for sophomore Nicolette Anico and a double for junior Rebecca Hall, Maddox registered a sacrifice bunt to send Anico home and tie the score 1-1.

Although the Scarlet Knight offense hit a lull, Jones held strong by posting three consecutive scoreless innings to keep the count knotted.

However, in the top of the fifth, the Spartans added a run on three hits for a 2-1 edge.

Rutgers countered with a run on two hits and an MSU error in the bottom of the frame to tie up the score again at 2-2. Jones then posted back-to-back 1-2-3 frames to send the game into extras.

In the top of the eighth, MSU's Kelcey Carrasco notched a two-run home run to give the Spartans a 4-2 edge.

Although Hall drew a walk in the bottom of the frame, going on to steal second, the Scarlet Knights fell short of a comeback.

UP NEXT
Rutgers looks to even the series on Saturday afternoon with the middle contest of the series set for 1 p.m. ET.

KNIGHT NOTES
-Rutgers competed in just its fourth home game of the season. Prior to today's contest, RU had competed in 40 of 43 contests on the road.
-Whitney Jones pitched the fifth complete game of her career, tossing a career-high eight innings.
-Taryn Atlee and Rebecca Hall are each on six-game hitting streaks.

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