The Mississippi State softball team delivered a pair of wins in Thursday’s double header. The Bulldogs defeated Jackson State 9-0 and 3-0 with pitchers Kelsey Nurnberg and Lindsey Dunlap throwing two one-hit shutouts.
Nurnberg opened game one
with three strikeouts, and Chelsea
Bramlett put the Bulldogs
ahead with a run in the bottom
of the first. Brittany Bell earned
the RBI.
The action-filled second inning
resulted in six runs from
three hits for Mississippi State.
First to bat Ali Bainbridge lined
out to the shortstop, then Sammie
Jo Bailey and Jessie Spain
both singled, putting runners on
first and second.
Through a series of pinch
hits, walks and fielding errors,
the Bulldogs earned six runs and
3 RBIs. Kaili Smith delivered 2
RBIs from her single to center
field.
In the fourth inning Bramlett
doubled to left center and scored
off an error by Jackson State’s
center fielder. Bramlett’s double
allowed Brittany Gates to score,
giving Bramlett the RBI.
Jackson State’s pitcher Brittanie
Talley gave up nine runs
(four earned), seven hits and two
walks over four frames.
“We got lots of runs. The way
we hit the ball was our biggest
strength,” Nurnberg said.
In game two, Bramlett batted
in the Bulldogs’ first run in the
bottom of the first with a sacrifice
fly to right field.
Bailey earned a run off Spain’s
double to right center in the
fourth inning. On the next pitch,
Courtney Nesbit singled up the
middle. Spain scored, and Nesbit
earned the RBI.
“We had a great pitching performance,”
MSU head coach Jay
Miller said. “The shutouts were
nice. We didn’t swing as well as we
could have, but I think the wins
helped us get back on track.”
Jackson State finished the game
with no hits, giving the Bulldog’s
a 3-0 win. These non-conference
wins brought Miller’s team to a
.500 season, and prepared the
Bulldogs for the upcoming doubleheader
at the University of
Georgia.
“Our defense is playing well.
I feel good about our ability,”
Miller said. “We have an advantage
because of our defense, so
that’s a good sign. And we got
some much needed rest over the
break.”
The doubleheader will start off
the second half of conference play.
Georgia is ranked No. 7 in the
nation. The team has never been
beaten on its home ground, but
Mississippi State team members
still feel as if they are prepared to
handle opposing Bulldogs.
“I feel very good about the
games,” Bramlett said. “I have
confidence in our team that we
can step it up and play well.”
The games could prove challenging,
however, because the
Bulldog softball team is facing
many injuries. With two pitchers
out and an injured shortstop, it
will be up to the younger kids to
step up to the plate.
The Bulldogs still have an advantage
over Georgia.
Nurnberg said she believes
the element of surprise will set
Mississippi State above its opponents.
“We know we have the ability,
and we know we are capable of
winning,” Nurnberg said. “Our
advantage is we have room to surprise
people. No one is expecting
us to be very good, so Georgia
might play lower.”
The Georgia Bulldogs provide
intimidating stats, but State’s
softball team takes a different approach
when preparing for the
doubleheader.
“We look at every team the
same,” Nurnberg said. “We just
play the best we can against every
team whether they are [Tishomingo
County] or a Division 1
team. I think we are ready for
Georgia.”