Playing ranked opponents can be a tough proposition, especially on the road. The underdog can only hope to play hard and steal a game or two. The Lady Bulldog softball team did just that this weekend, stealing one from division rival Auburn.
State continued its eight game road trip with the series on the plains, and after Saturday’s 3-2 victory, the Bulldogs have only a Tuesday match-up with Southern Mississippi remaining before returning home.
Senior Blair Brown became the heroine in the second game of Saturday’s double-header. Brown slammed a three-run home run in the top of the third.
Head coach Jay Miller was excited about Brown’s home run, as well as her .400-plus weekend batting clip. He also praised the pitching force that kept the 22nd ranked Tigers in their cage.
“That was a big hit from Blaire Brown, obviously, but I thought we got great pitching all weekend from Melissa (Massey),” said Miller.
Massey, the staff’s ace, handcuffed the Tigers for the bulk of the game, giving up only six hits and two earned runs in the complete game decision.
The win salvaged the series for the Lady Dawgs, who dropped Friday’s match-up in a 3-2 thriller that saw multiple Bulldog rallies fall just short of victory. Massey pitched six strong innings to keep the game in striking distance, but the Tigers were able to quell a seventh inning rally by MSU and hold on.
Defensive miscues marked Saturday’s early game. Despite Jennifer Waterman’s three-RBI-afternoon, the Bulldog defense allowed seven unearned runs on four MSU errors. As a result, the Tigers walked away with the 7-3 victory, while the Bulldogs walked away with their second loss in as many days.
“We had a little breakdown, defensively, in that second game,” Miller said of his team’s lack-luster effort, “and you can’t do that if you expect to win games.”
The Lady Bulldogs will return to home action this weekend with a three game series against Alabama beginning Friday at 5 p.m.