Bulldogs’ Bats Come Alive In Run-Rule Victory At SLU

Tuesday, February 28

Hammond, La.

5:00 PM

Mississippi State

12-3

Southeastern Louisiana

8-7

Mississippi State

Southeastern La.

Bevia Robinson went 3-for-4 on the night, scoring two runs and driving in one in Tuesday night's win.

Bulldogs’ Bats Come Alive In Run-Rule Victory At SLU

February 28, 2017 | Softball

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HAMMOND, La. – Power hitting was the name of the game on Tuesday night, as the Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-3) hit three home runs to power past Southeastern Louisiana (8-7), 9-1, in five innings on Tuesday night.

Morgan Bell, Olivia Golden and Katie Anne Bailey each turned in bombs against the Lady Lions, marking MSU's first three-home run contest since sending four out of the park against Tennessee on April 19, 2015.

Alongside the trio of homers was the play of Bevia Robinson and Caroline Seitz, who each tallied multi-hit contests in the win. Robinson went 3-for-4 on the night with two runs and an RBI, moving to 13-for-21 in her last six games with six runs scored, five RBI, one double and a triple. Seitz opened the scoring on the night with a two-RBI double, finishing with a 2-for-3 performance.

Robinson led the game off with a single, moving her hitting streak to six-straight games and sparking an inning that would be highlighted by Seitz's double. The shot to left center would score Robinson and Golden, putting State in front, 2-0.

After a quiet second inning, the Dogs would tack on two more runs in the third. SLU looked poised to get out of the inning unscathed until Bell stepped to the plate with two outs. Bell would get a hold of a 1-2 pitch and send it over the wall in left, her second homer of the season, to push State to a 3-0 lead. Three batters later, Calyn Adams would drive home Seitz on an infield single to make it a 4-0 Bulldog advantage.

The final blow would come in the fifth, as State would unleash a five-run frame. Golden started things off with a lead-off home run, her third bomb of the season. After an HBP and a foul out, Bailey stepped up and earned her first home run of the year, a two-run jack to left.

Up 7-0 and with two outs on the board, Robinson hit an RBI single to center and would keep the jets on, scoring on the play thanks to an SLU error.

With a 9-0 lead, the Bulldogs turned to Cassady Knudsen to close things out. SLU put one run on the board off an RBI single to center and would try to score a second, but Amanda Ivy had other plans. Ivy sent a rocket from center to Bailey at home plate to get the runner for the first out. The Dogs would catch a runner stealing from second to third and strike out another to close out the contest.

For the game, senior left Alexis Silkwood threw 4.0 innings of work, keeping the Lady Lions scoreless on just three hits while striking out six. She moves to 7-0 on the year, two wins away from matching the best start to a season in her career (9-0 in 2015).

She is also now at 51 wins in her career, putting her five away from becoming the winningest pitcher in school history. She trails only Melissa Massey (2002-05), who currently stands in first with 55 wins.

The Bulldogs will now return home on Thursday, March 2, hosting Alabama State at 6 p.m., at Nusz Park. Following the ASU showdown, MSU welcomes Samford, UMass and Central Arkansas to town for the 2017 Bulldog Slamboree.

Scoring Plays Versus Southeastern Louisiana…
1^st Inning – For the second-straight game, Caroline Seitz drives in a pair of runs, as she knocks a two-RBI double to left center to bring home Bevia Robinson and Olivia Golden
3^rd Inning – With two outs on the board, Morgan Bell launches a shot over the wall in left for her second home run of 2017, making it 3-0
3^rd Inning – After Bell's homer, the Bulldogs get two more runners on and bring home another run thanks to an RBI single from Calyn Adams, pushing the lead to 4-0
5^th Inning – Leading off the fifth inning, Olivia Golden sends her third homer of the season over the wall in left, making State's lead 5-0
5^th Inning – After an HBP and a foul out, Katie Anne Bailey joins the home run party, blasting one to left for her first bomb of 2017 and making the MSU lead 7-0
5^th Inning – With Emily Heimberger on second, Bevia Robinson knocks an RBI single to center field and then wheels it all the way home thanks to an SLU error, pushing State's lead to 9-0

Bulldog Home Run Tracker…

Reggie Harrison vs. Fresno State, Feb. 16, 2017 (0 on, 0 outs)
Morgan Bell vs. North Florida, Feb. 24, 2017 (0 on, 0 outs)
Reggie Harrison vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2017 (1 on, 1 out)
Olivia Golden vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2017 (0 on, 1 out)
Olivia Golden vs. Southern Illinois, Feb. 26, 2017 (2 on, 2 outs)
Morgan Bell vs. Southeastern Louisiana, Feb. 28, 2017 (0 on, 2 outs)
Olivia Golden vs. Southeastern Louisiana, Feb. 28, 2017 (0 on, 0 outs)
Katie Anne Bailey vs. Southeastern Louisiana, Feb. 28, 2017 (1 on, 1 out)

Robinson's Domination Continues…
Bevia Robinson went 3-for-4 with an RBI on Tuesday, moving her to 13-for-21 in her last six games with six runs scored, five RBI, one double and a triple. She leads the Bulldogs for the overall season with a .500 average, while tallying a .583 slugging percentage, .550 on-base percentage and 10 stolen bases. She is currently riding a career-high six-game hitting streak as well.

Silkwood Remains Undefeated In 2017…
She captured the MSU all-time strikeouts record on Saturday and added her seventh win of the year on Tuesday night. Silkwood threw 4.0 innings against the Lady Lions, allowing zero runs on just three hits while fanning six batters. She is now two wins away from matching the best start to a season in her career, as she began the 2015 campaign with a 9-0 record.

The senior lefty is also five wins away from becoming the all-time winningest pitcher in Mississippi State softball history. Melissa Massey (2002-05) currently stands in first with 55 wins, while Silk is in second with 51 after Tuesday night's win.

Hitting Streaks Keep Building Up…
After the win on Tuesday night, six total Bulldogs are currently riding a hitting streak, with three having collected a hit in at least four-straight contests. Emily Heimberger added to her career-best hitting streak, moving up to seven-straight games, while Bevia Robinson upped hers to six-straight contests. Caroline Seitz is currently riding a four-game hitting streak, her best in 2017 and two away from tying her career high.

Homers On Homers On Homers…
MSU has flashed its power multiple times this season, as they have collected eight home runs through the first 15 games of the season. Compared to last year, the Bulldogs had six homers in the first 15 contests. State also has a pair of multi-home run games this season, where they only had one in 2016.

Tuesday night was State's first three-home run game since sending four out of the park against Tennessee on April 19, 2015.

On Deck…
The Bulldogs return home for a Thursday, March 2 showdown against Alabama State (6 p.m.) at Nusz Park. Following that contest, MSU will welcome UMass, Central Arkansas and Samford to Starkville for the Bulldog Slamboree (March 3-5).

Social Media…
For more on Mississippi State softball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap".