Mississippi State started the season on the wrong end Friday, dropping a tough 4-0 decision to Kennesaw State. Kennesaw State scored all four runs with two outs in the bottom of the third.
The lone bright spot for Mississippi State Friday was preseason All-American Chelsea Bramlett, who had a pair of hits. “We learned we can’t take any team lightly and to an extent that’s what we did,” Bramlett said.
Saturday was a better day for the softball team. MSU swept Louisiana-Monroe and Iona 5-3 and 10-0, respectively. Freshman Lindsey Dunlap had a great day Saturday, winning her first collegiate game as well as her first collegiate save. Dunlap pitched the final one and two-thirds innings, stopping a late rally by the Warhawks. In the nightcap against Iona, Dunlap pitched magnificently, giving up only three hits and no walks while striking out four.
“Our four freshmen did a nice job this weekend,” said MSU head coach Jay Miller. “The way they played this weekend shows our future will be strong.”
In the first game, State needed a spark and got one from junior Jessie Bailey. In the bottom of the second inning, Bailey gave the Bulldogs their first runs of the tournament. With her team trailing 1-0 with one out, Bailey hit a 1-0 pitch over the left center wall for her first grand slam this season. A late rally by the Warhawks came up short and the Bulldogs got their first victory of the season. Bailey finished the weekend 4-11 with four RBIs and three runs scored. “We needed to make adjustments and just to relax,” Bailey said. Coach [Miller] told us to be more confident at the plate.”
The nightcap was all Mississippi State. State scored all 10 runs in the first three innings. In the bottom of the first with two runners on base, freshman Courtney Moore singled through the right side, driving in two to give the Bulldogs the early 2-0 lead. State didn’t slow down; in the bottom of the second sophomore Allie Heon singled, driving in two and giving State a 4-0 lead. Finishing the inning, Moore once again drove in another run on a sacrifice fly, giving State the 5-0 lead after two. State scored five more runs in the bottom of the third, crushing any hopes for Iona, which led to State cruising to a 10-0 victory. Moore finished her great weekend going 6-11 with seven RBIs.
Mississippi State took the momentum from Saturday and won the Bulldog Round-Robin finale 12-5 on Sunday against the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe. State had a team game, racking up 14 runs on 20 hits.
“We hit the ball a lot better [Sunday] than we did on Friday,” Miller said.
With the win, Miller tied the school’s all-time wins record.
Jessie Spain led the Bulldogs’ high-powered offense Sunday by going 3-for-5 with five RBIs. Also contributing was freshman Ka’ili Smith, who
went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and Chelsea Bramlett, who went 3-for-5 and matched a career-high three runs scored. Spain finished the weekend going 4-8 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Bramlett also had a great weekend going 8-15 with four runs scored.
Kelsey Nurnberg picked up the win in relief, pitching the final four and one third innings. Misty Flesher started the game, but she gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits in two and two thirds innings of work.
With the victories, Mississippi State improved to 3-1 on the year. State will have a tough test this week playing Southern Mississippi Wednesday at 3 p.m. as well as traveling to Tallahassee over the weekend for the Sunshine Classic.