The Mississippi State Bulldogs softball team won a badly needed pair of games this weekend at the No. 9 Tennessee Lady Volunteers, winning two in the three-game series.
MSU head coach Jay Miller said the weekend was a big lift for his Bulldogs.
“It got us our first SEC wins, a series win over a top 10 team, so I think it was a big step for our young ball club,” Miller said. “Hopefully, it’s something we can use to build on as we move into the second half of SEC play.”
On Saturday, sophomore shortstop Jessie Spain hit a double in the top of the fifth inning to drive in senior first baseman Sammie Jo Bailey and give the Bulldogs a 5-4 lead. Freshman pitcher Lindsey Dunlap did not allow another hit, and the Bulldogs held on for the upset win.
In the second game Saturday, Lady Vol senior pitcher Danielle Pieroni pitched a complete game shutout as the Lady Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 8-0. Junior catcher Chelsea Bramlett had two hits on the day, but a Kajitani’s RBI double in the fifth gave Tennessee the necessary eight runs to call the game in the fifth inning.
On Sunday, sophomore second baseman Ali Bainbridge’s three-run home run in the sixth inning gave the Bulldogs the lead, which they were able to hold for a 10-6 to take the series.
“We’d been fighting really hard the whole game, going back and forth, and I knew we had runners on. I was hoping just to hit maybe one or two in,” Bainbridge said. “We were trying to get one at a time, so to get a home run, it was really exciting. I was just glad to help out with the team.”
Bramlett had four hits and three runs over the three games, and sophomore outfielder Brittany Bell had four hits, two RBIs and two runs on the weekend. Bainbridge led the Bulldogs with five hits and four RBIs on the weekend and was named SEC Player of Week.
“[Bainbridge] swung the bat really well all weekend,” Miller said. “She was struggling seeing the ball at the plate the past couple weeks, and she’s worked hard on her game, and I think it paid off for her this week.”
Dunlap received the win in the first game on Saturday after pitching four innings and allowing only one run and one hit. She also received the win on Sunday after pitching a complete game, bringing her record this year to 9-9. She was named SEC Freshman of the Week following the series.
Dunlap said she was excited to help lead her team to their first SEC series victory.
“It was a long weekend, having to play in the cold and rain, and wait out the rain, but we made it through it with a victory. We worked hard for the win,” she said.
Miller complimented Dunlap’s play in particular.
“[Dunlap] has done very well. It’s tough to compete in this league as a freshman. She’s had her bumps and struggles along the way, but I think she’s settled down. She came in that first game and got the win, and the game [Sunday], I thought she threw a real good ball game,” Miller said. “When crunch time came, she buckled down.”
Junior catcher Tiffany Huff was the Lady Volunteers’ star of the weekend, driving in five runs over the series. The Lady Volunteers fell to 26-8 (5-4 SEC) after the series.
The Bulldogs improved to 17-16 (2-10 SEC) after the series. Miller said the team still wants to compete and play hard.
“You focus on the things that you can control, focus on improving individually as players and as a team each week. You want to go out, we want our hitters to have good at bats, you want our pitchers to have quality innings and get people out,” Miller said. “You focus on those things, and the wins and losses take care of themselves.”
Dunlap and Bainbridge both said they believe the series will mark a turnaround for the team.
“I think it helped boost our confidence a little bit, which is what we needed,” Bainbridge said. “I know we still have a lot of games left. Pulling together as a team and fighting for wins like this weekend, just coming out on top like that, it really helps us to know that we can do that again, that not all is lost. I thought we did a really good job of coming together as a team.”
The Bulldogs now look ahead to Wednesday night, where they will play a nonconference game against the Ole Miss Rebels in the M&F Bank Fastpitch Classic at Liberty Park in Madison, Miss. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The Rebels are currently 15-18 (4-12 SEC).
Looming on the horizon for the Bulldogs is this weekend’s series with the No. 1 Florida Gators, who are currently 34-3 (13-1 SEC). That series will be played in Gainesville, Fla., with games Saturday at noon and 2:00 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.