Courtesy of Michigan State Athletics
East Lansing, Mich. – Freshman McKenzie Long hit her first career home run and had the game-winning RBI as Michigan State defeated No. 22 Tulsa, 4-3, in its opening game at the FAU Strike Out Cancer Tournament. Dani Goranson came on in relief to pitch three innings of one-hit ball to earn the victory, while Kristina Zalewski earned her second save of the season by blanking the Golden Hurricane over the final two innings.
At the plate, Stephanie Sanders and Long each had two RBI, while sophomore Sarah Gutknecht extended her hitting streak to six straight games, the longest of her career.
After a scoreless first, freshman McKenzie Long launched her first career homer over the wall in left center field to give MSU a 1-0 lead. The Golden Hurricane countered with a three-run bottom of the inning.
In the top of the third, MSU posted a three-spot of its own to take a 4-3 lead. Jacquie Reiser, who reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second with two out. Lea Foerster was hit by a pitch to put a pair on base, and Stephanie Sanders came up with a single and eventually advanced to third, plating both Reiser and Foerster to tie the game at three. Long delivered an RBI single – her second hit of the night – to score Sanders and give MSU a 4-3 lead.
Kernen doubled to lead off the Tulsa half of the third, and Goranson came in to relieve starter Valerie Kaff. Goranson gave up a walk to Shelby Estocado to put on a pair of runners, but McKenzie Freimuth turned a double play on a lineout by Allen. Goranson got Maggie Withee on a comebacker, eliminating the threat and maintaining a 4-3 lead.
The Spartans threatened again in the top of the fourth when Ellie Stoffer and Alyssa McBride were dealt back-to-back walks, but Caitlin Sill got both Gutknecht and Reiser on strikeouts to send it to the bottom of the inning.
In the home half of the fourth, Goranson got back-to-back strikeouts after a leadoff walk, then got Erica Sampson to fly out to right to get out of the inning unscathed. In the bottom of the fifth, Goranson escaped a bases-loaded jam by getting Maddie Withee to line out to Reiser at second, and the teams headed to the sixth as the Spartans held on to a 4-3 lead.
The Spartans stranded one in the top of the sixth, as Sarah Gutknecht extended her hitting streak to six games, and Kristina Zalewski entered the game for Goranson after the redshirt sophomore threw three innings of one-hit ball and kept Tulsa off the scoreboard.
Zalewski, the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week, made quick work of the Tulsa lineup, facing just seven batters in the sixth and seventh innings combined. She recorded a pair of strikeouts in the sixth and three groundouts in the seventh, earning her second save of the season.
Goranson earned her first victory in the circle since May 1, 2013. She missed the entire 2014 season with an injury.
