The Mississippi State softball team defeated Georgia two out of three times over the weekend to bring home its second SEC road series win of the 2007 season. The softball Bulldogs (30-21,11-11) defeated UGA (36-24, 6-14) in the final two games of the series, after losing the series opener.
Georgia opened the series by defeating MSU 5-2 Saturday.
Though Mississippi State was able to pound out nine hits on the opposing Bulldogs, UGA forced MSU to leave five runners on base throughout the game.
Georgia’s Kasi Carroll pitched the entire game, striking out three and allowing two earned runs.
Freshman heroics led to MSU’s bounce back in Game Two, as the two Bulldog squads combined for 18 runs in regulation.
Each team had nine, forcing the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth inning, with one out and a 1-2 count, freshman infielder Jessie Bailey hit a grand slam down the left field line, giving the Starkville Dawgs a four-point lead.
Kelli Miller pitching in relief shut out UGA in the bottom of the eighth to secure the victory, improving to 13-9 on the season.
The series finale proved to be a much easier and smoother win for Mississippi State, as the girls pounded out 12 runs on 15 hits in the contest against Carroll, who had held MSU to only two runs the day before.
MSU would win the game 12-5.
Six MSU batters finished the game with more than one hit, and two more had one. Freshman infielder and leadoff batter Chelsea Bramlett paced the Bulldogs in the game, going 3-for-5 on the contest with a double, two stolen bases and three runs scored.
Junior shortstop Courtney Bures also pitched in significantly, slamming her second home run of the season.
Kelli Miller earned the win for MSU, jumping to 14-9 overall. Sara Hickerson came on in relief in the fifth after Miller allowed two singles.
MSU now stands at .500 in SEC play with an 11-11 record.
The Dawgs are currently tied for fourth place in the conference with Florida and South Carolina.
Tennessee, LSU and Alabama stand first, second and third, respectively.
MSU’s remaining conference schedule pits them in Gainesville against the Florida Gators on Friday and Saturday and at home against the Lady Razorbacks of Arkansas May 4 and 5.
If MSU qualifies, the SEC Tournament will be held in Auburn, Ala., May 10 to 12.