After a five-game road trip in which the Mississippi State softball team defeated South Carolina but was swept by LSU, the Dogs defeated UAB on a walk-off double from junior Erin Nesbit on Tuesday. The win set the stage for a weekend showdown with No. 11 Tennessee.
The Blazers took a quick lead on a first-inning run, but MSU took advantage of a few errors and tied it up again with a run of its own. Junior pitcher Stephanie Becker regained control in the second and held UAB scoreless for the next four innings until she was replaced by junior Kylie Vry.
While the bats were rather quiet for the Dogs, they did take the lead in the third with another run off a Blazer error. Vry found herself in some trouble in the top of the sixth, giving up two runs as UAB retook the lead. Becker re-entered the game and finished out the inning with two strikeouts. Becker said she was ready to go back in the game when the time came.
“When you get taken out, you’re always supposed to stay focused and stay in the game because you never know what will happen and you may get put back in,” Becker said. “So you have to keep a positive mindset and get ready for anything.”
When the seventh inning rolled around, the game was knotted up at three. Becker made quick work of the Blazers in the top of the inning and left it up to the Bulldogs’ offense to pull out the game.
Junior Jessica Cooley led off the inning with a walk and was bunted over to second by junior Chrissie Rovtar. Next up to the plate was Nesbit, who was 0-3 so far in the game. However, Nesbit’s first career game wearing maroon and white was against UAB, and she went 3-3 with a home run and triple.
In a key moment for the Dogs, Nesbit’s productive play against the Blazers continued. She roped a double, scoring Cooley and securing the walk-off win for MSU. Nesbit said the team had been focusing on one pitch at a time, and that is simply what she did.
“I was having some good at bats, but she was getting me at the end, and I needed to get up there and be more aggressive,” Nesbit said. “I wasn’t going to let her get me a fourth time, so I got up there, used my two-strike approach and got the hit.”
This win came at a crucial time for the Dogs, who moved to 18-12 on the season. With tough SEC opponents surrounding them, midweek non-conference games can be a time to gain confidence and increase the hype.
The Lady Vols are coming into this weekend’s series with a 21-7 record. They most recently split a Wednesday double-header with No. 1 Alabama, losing the first game 3-2 and winning the second game 5-2. The series has the potential to be a pitching duel as Lady Vol starting pitcher Ellen Renfroe has an ERA of 1.05 with a 15-1 record, while Becker has a 1.98 ERA and 10-5 record for the Dogs. However, there is power at the plate, as well. Cooley is currently tied for the SEC lead with nine home runs, and Lauren Gibson of Tennessee is close behind with eight.
State head coach Vann Stuedeman said Tennessee is a very well-coached team with a deep pitching staff and talented offense.
“They will be a strong opponent, but that’s why you come to the SEC and to Mississippi State is to play great college softball week in and week out. I know that’s what I crave and our players crave, as well,” Stuedeman said. “I look forward to a great series here in Starkville and hope all our fans come out and support us and cheer us on to the victory.”
Tennessee will be the third of four top 25-ranked teams to visit Starkville in the month of March as No. 1 Alabama waits on deck for next weekend. The series opens up tonight at 5:30 and continues with 1 p.m. games both Saturday and Sunday.