Wildcats Salute Seniors With Sweep of Spartans, 10-4

Sunday, April 24

Evanston, Ill.

Noon CT

Northwestern

19-23, 10-7

Michigan State

22-25, 4-13

Michigan State

Northwestern

Wildcats Salute Seniors With Sweep of Spartans, 10-4

4/24/2016 11:48:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern sent its seven Seniors out with a fitting Senior Day salute Sunday at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, earning a sweep of Michigan State with a resounding 10-4 victory.

Northwestern now is 19-23 overall, 10-7 in the Big Ten. Michigan State is 22-25 on the year, 4-13 in the conference. The Wildcats have one final home game this season at 4 p.m. CT Wednesday, April 27, against Loyola (Chicago) at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.

The first batter of the game for Michigan State hit a solo home run off Northwestern's senior starter Kristen Wood to put the Spartans quickly on top, 1-0. Though the next batter reached on an error, Wood stranded her at third when the inning ended.

The Wildcats wasted no time beginning their Senior Day salvo. Sabrina Rabin led off the bottom of the first with a four-pitch walk and stole second before Morgan Nelson reached on an error. Nelson would steal second as well before everyone trotted home when senior Andrea Filler crushed a three-run home run to dead center, pushing Northwestern out in front, 3-1.

Senior Amy Letourneau followed Filler with a single into center, and Michigan State removed freshman starter Celeste Wood from the circle in favor of Dani Goranson, who was able to retire the next three Wildcats in order.

In the top of the second, Michigan State got a one-out single, but the next batter lined to Alcy Bush at first. Bush dipped low and gloved the liner, then tapped the bag for an inning-ending double play.

With the score the same in the bottom of the third, Filler got medieval on another MSU offering, shooting a solo shot over the centerfield wall for her second home run of the game and a 4-1 NU lead.

The home runs were her 11^th and 12^th of the season, giving her 30 as a Wildcat and 38 in her collegiate career.

Following the home run, the inning continued with a walk to Letourneau and a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of senior Fran Strub that did not result in an out, putting Wildcats at first and second with one out. Brooke Marquez then smashed a ground rule double into the fence in right field to drive Letourneau home and force another Michigan State pitching change with the score now 5-1.

Games One and Two starter Kristina Zalewski entered the circle and senior Brianna LeBeau greeted her with a pinch-hit ground out to short that was well struck enough to allow Strub to race home and make it a 6-1 contest after three complete innings.

Michigan State got a couple of runs back with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth, but just as it did in the first, Northwestern answered immediately. Krista Williams led off with a double down the left-field line hit so hard, it went through the third baseman's legs as she stood frozen in place. Williams moved to third on a Rabin single before Rabin swiped second and Nelson ripped a single into left field, plating both to restore NU's five-run lead, 8-3.

In the top of the fifth, Letourneau entered the circle in relief of her classmate Wood and tossed a perfect frame with two strikeouts. In the bottom of the inning, senior Aubrie May started a two-out rally when she was hit by a pitch in a pinch hit appearance. Abbey Boyd entered the game to run for her and moved to second on a Williams bunt single, but the inning ended there.

Northwestern put a Senior Day exclamation on things in the bottom of the sixth. Nelson singled to start the inning and stole second. Filler then dumped a single into left that pushed Nelson to third, with Filler taking second on the throw ahead of her. One out later, Strub brought Nelson home with an RBI groundout that moved Filler to third. The inning continued when Zalewski struck out Marquez on a pitch in the dirt, but it got away for a wild pitch and let Filler scamper home for a 10-3 NU lead.

With two outs in the top of the seventh (and after Filler made an incredible dive on a grounder up the middle before throwing from her knees to a fully stretched Bush at first for the second out), Michigan State got a solo home run against Letourneau. She then shut the door with her sixth strikeout of the game to earn her third save of the year.

Wood (3-5) got the win, going four innings and giving up three runs on three hits and a walk. Letourneau allowed one run on two hits with her six Ks.

Filler had a day, going 3-for-4 at the plate with her two home runs, four RBIs and three runs scored. Nelson had two hits, RBIs and runs scored while Williams had two base knocks and Rabin scored twice with two steals.

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