Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Niagara softball team dropped both games of a midweek doubleheader against Michigan State Tuesday afternoon.

“We came out ready to battle today,” said head coach Ellie Chan. “We played tough through both games, which is progress for us. Michigan State is a Big 10 team, and our biggest goal today was to be competitive. I would have liked to have gotten at least a split, as we were right there. I think we did a good job of making adjustments. We need to continue polishing up some things but we are certainly getting there. This is a work in progress, but we are all committed to it.”

Michigan State 2, Niagara 1

Junior Jennifer Sansano was stellar on the mound for the Purple Eagles (2-9), but Michigan State (13-7) edged Niagara in a defensive battle, 2-1.

The Spartans scored the go-ahead run off the only extra base hit of the game in the top of the fourth inning. Alyssa McBride would triple to left field after leading off the inning. Sansano struck out the next batter, but a single to center field the following hit would drive in the winning run for Michigan State.

Niagara would get on the board to tie up the game in the bottom of the first inning. With the bases loaded, sophomore Amanda Werth would score on a passed ball, equalizing the score, 1-1.

Sansano (2-2) gave up just one earned run and struck out seven while giving up six hits in seven innings.

Michigan State 8, Niagara 1

Niagara would score just one run in seven innings en route to an 8-1 loss.

Down 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning, the Purple Eagles would cut the deficit to 2-1 off of the bat of junior Aileen Hinton. With senior Gabrielle Lustrinelli on first base, Hinton doubled to center field, sending Lustrinelli around the remaining bags to score, putting the game within reach.

The Spartans would add four runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to secure the victory.

Michigan pitcher Kelly Smith (10-2) had her no-hitter broken up in the fourth after junior Brittany Richberg singled down the third base line.

The Purple Eagles return to the diamond to participate in the Rebel Spring games against Holy Cross, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis (Pa.), and Tennessee-Martin March 7-8.