University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Michigan State
Softball Drops Another Tough One, 8-6 To Michigan State
March 18, 2007 | Softball
March 18, 2007
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Four runs after there were two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Michigan State Softball team (16-12) a come-from-behind 8-6 win over Massachusetts (10-11-1) in the third-place game of the FAU Parent's Weekend Tournament Sunday afternoon. A two-run home run by junior Stacy Cullington (Encinitas, Calif.) gave the Minutewomen a 6-4 lead in the top of the inning, but the Spartans mounted a two-out rally against sophomore Brandice Balschmiter (Newark, N.Y.). Junior Amanda Acampora (Orange, Conn.) also homered for the Minutewomen as they overcame an early 4-2 deficit. UMass closes out its trip to Florida with a doubleheader against Florida Atlantic beginning at 6:00 PM.
UMass scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning to spot Balschmiter a 1-0 lead. Senior Candice Molinari (Glendora, Calif.) reached on a one-out infield single and then stole second base. After Cullington struck out for the inning's second out, junior Lauren Proctor hit a come-backer to MSU pitcher Rachel Turney. Turney fielded the ball cleanly, but threw it into right field allowing Molinari to score the first run.
Michigan State came right back to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the first off Balschmiter. They were unearned as Molinari in center field threw the ball into the UMass dugout trying to throw a runner out at third.
UMass got one of the runs back in the top of the second inning as freshman Jessica Serio (Barrigton, R.I.) singled and scored from first on a two-out double by freshman Whitney Williams (Kingsley, Pa.).
The Spartans came right back with another two runs in the bottom of the second inning and now led 4-2.
A solo home run by Acampora made it a 4-3 game in the top of the fourth, but UMass was not done. Back-to-back walks by Serio and Williams followed by a Morin RBI single tied the game at 4-4.
Balschmiter settled down and the score remained knotted at four until the top of the sixth inning. Williams led off the inning with her second double of the game, but was still standing at third base with two outs. Cullington stepped to the plate and belted a 3-2 pitch over the fence in left-center field to put UMass on top 6-4
Balschmiter had retired 10 straight batters until a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth inning by Traci Nicosia. A sacrifice bunt and then a fly out had Nicosia still at third base with two outs but five straight Michigan State batters reached base. When the dust cleared, Michigan State had an 8-6 lead heading to the final inning.
Megan Hair, Michigan State's fourth pitcher of the afternoon, retired the Minutewomen in order in the seventh and UMass lost its third straight tough game at this tournament.
Balschmiter (7-8) took the loss as she allowed eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits and one walk. She had three strikeouts, all in the first inning.
UMass will now close out its Florida trip with a doubleheader Monday evening against Florida Atlantic University. Game one is set to begin at 6:00 PM and both games will be broadcast online at www.umassathletics.com beginning at 5:50 PM..
