Polito, UW Streaks End at Michigan State
April 27, 2007 | Softball
Michigan State pounded out 14 hits and beat Wisconsin 8-5 in its Big Ten home opener Friday at Old College Field. The Badgers scored three runs in the seventh and put the tying run at the plate, but Lesley Noel struck out Liz Klemp to end the game. Noel (7-7) went the distance for the Spartans and picked up her seventh win this season.
UW center fielder Samantha Polito went 0-for-4 in the contest with four groundouts, ending her school-record hitting streak at 16 games. Polito hit .560 during the streak and scored 17 runs. The loss ends a two-game winning streak for the Badgers (26-16, 5-8 Big Ten).
Michigan State (27-24, 3-8) became the first team to score more than six runs against the Badgers in 15 games. The last three hitters in the Spartans' order were a combined 7-for-10 at the plate with three RBI and a run scored. Dayna Feenstra was not a part of that trio, but went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer and four RBI.
Ricci Robben was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI for the Badgers. Alexis Garcia and Katie Hnatyk also had two hits. Garcia drove in the other two runs and Hnatyk scored twice for Wisconsin.
Eden Brock (14-10) started the game and worked three-plus innings for UW before Leah Vanevenhoven entered with MSU holding a 3-2 lead. Vanevenhoven worked out of a jam in the fourth, but ran into trouble in the fifth.
A leadoff walk and a base hit off the tip of the glove of shortstop Athena Vasquez put State in business in the fifth. Gina Mondo loaded the bases with a single, and one out later Nicole Mercado pulled a two-strike pitch up the middle that scored two. Nikki Nicosia 's RBI groundout one batter later gave MSU a 6-2 lead.
Feenstra's seventh homer of the season made it 8-2 in the sixth. Robben 's two-out double in the seventh cut the lead to 8-4 and Garcia followed with a drive up the middle that made it 8-5. Theresa Boruta walked to put runners on first and second before Noel got the final out of the game.
Robben's double gives her 12 this season, two shy of Boo Gillette's single-season record of 14 set in 2004. Joey Daniels was 1-for-3 and scored her 33rd run of the season. She's tied with Polito for the team lead.
Wisconsin will try to rebound Saturday against the Spartans at Old College Field. Game time is noon CDT.
