After being nationally ranked for the first time since 2002, Mississippi State’s 23-ranked softball team dropped a 2-0 shocker to Southern Miss Tuesday, chalking up its fourth loss on the season.
The Bulldogs, who started by winning their first 15 games, have now dropped four of their last seven.
Ragan Blake (8-2), still suffering the after-effects of flu-like symptoms from last weekend, took the pitching circle for the Bulldogs (18-4) and struck out eight Golden Eagles en route to her second loss of the season. She allowed only six hits through her six innings pitched and no earned runs.
MSU was held to its weakest hitting performance all year by USM’s pitchers, cracking only three hits throughout the matchup. Courtney Bures, Katie Cooley, Katie Johnson and Michelle Kinney were the only Bulldogs to reach base, and Kinney’s passage was via base on balls. MSU left two runners on base in the ballgame.
The Dawgs only committed one error in the game. However, it was that crucial throwing error by third baseman Kinney that handed Southern Miss (13-15) its two runs of the game, and it was all the Eagles needed to astound the Bulldogs.
Even Stephanie Comeaux’s (10-0) relief of Blake in the seventh inning couldn’t bring the Bulldogs back to victory.
“I was pleased with the way our pitchers threw because they threw well enough to win the ballgame,” MSU head coach Jay Miller said following the disappointing defeat. “We only got three hits, and we looked like a bunch of fools at the plate. We weren’t patient, we didn’t adjust, and we didn’t do the things we needed to do to be successful.”
MSU will look to rebound and stay in the hunt for national prestige this weekend as they head to Long Beach, Calif., to participate in the Long Beach State Invitational. The Lady Dawgs will take on four different opponents in the tournament, including Syracuse (8-7), Mercer (5-9), Long Beach State (10-9) and No. 4 UCLA (18-1).
“This weekend is going to be a big tournament for us out west,” Miller said.
“Hopefully, we can get back on track. We have a day of practice to give ourselves the opportunity and then see what we can do this weekend.”