Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
The Detroit Titans softball team suffered a pair of setbacks against in-state rival Michigan State at Old College Field in East Lansing Michigan. In game one, the Titans' seventh inning rally fell short as the team was edged 3-2 followed by an 8-2 loss in the second stanza.
MSU took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Lauren Kramer RBI single in game one.
Sophomore Breana Sesoko (Anaheim Hills, CA/Canyon) tied the game at 1-1 in the third with a solo shot over the right center field fence.
Down 3-1 in with one out in the top of the seventh, Detroit mounted a rally as Sclater doubled to center field followed by a single by junior Jessica Liebner (Ortonville, MI/Brandon) to put runners at first and third. Sesoko reached on a fielder's choice to score freshman Krissy Pitock (Carleton, MI/Carleton-Airport) who pinch ran for Sclater and moved Liebner, the potential tying run, to second base. However, Kramer, who entered the inning to pitch for Megan Hair, got the last batter to pop out to end the threat and seal the game for the Spartans.
Sesoko led the Titans going 2-for-3 at the plate tallying her second home run of the season with two RBI and a run scored. On the day, she hit .500 going 3-for-6. Liebner and sophomore Ellen Sinclair (Chatham, ON/Chatham-Kent) each went 1-for-3 and 2-for-6 overall.
In the circle, junior Jill Perry (Ortonville, MI/ Brandon) had a solid outing in the losing effort with four strikeouts in six innings of work. Hair picked up the win for MSU allowing only three hits and one earned run with three strikeouts.
In the second game, Detroit fell behind 2-0 heading into the fifth inning. The Titans were able to cut the lead in half at 2-1 as Liebner was able to score on an error by the first baseman. Consequently, MSU responded in the bottom half as two costly errors plagued UDM and aided the Spartans to plate three unearned runs for a 5-1 lead.
In the sixth inning, junior Erica Houthoofd (Unionville, MI/Unionville Sebewaing Area) connected on her second home run of the season to pull Detroit within three runs at 5-2. Similar to the previous inning, the Titans were unable to avoid a MSU response as Hedi Putzer hit a triple with the bases loaded to the give the Spartans a commanding 8-2 lead.
The Titans return to Buysse Ballpark for a Horizon League doubleheader against Butler on Saturday, March 28 at 3 p.m.
