Seitz, Moore Lead MSU To Series-Opening Win At No. 19 Georgia

Friday, April 14

Athens, Ga.

5:00 PM

Mississippi State

30-13, 0

#19 Georgia

28-14, 0

Mississippi State

Georgia

Caroline Seitz's sixth-inning grand slam was the difference in Friday night's 9-4 victory at No. 19 Georgia.

Seitz, Moore Lead MSU To Series-Opening Win At No. 19 Georgia

April 14, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (HTML)Box Score (PDF)Caroline Seitz Grand Slam (VIDEO)

ATHENS, Ga. – Caroline Seitz has long been known for her home-run power at the plate and on Friday she put it on display when Mississippi State needed it the most. Behind Seitz's grand slam and a standout day from Kat Moore, the Bulldogs (30-13, 5-8 SEC) took down the 19^th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (28-14, 2-11 SEC) to open the series.

Seitz finished the contest 2-for-3 at the plate with a career-high six RBI, sparked by her first-career grand slam. The home run was her 31^st-career home run, moving her into a tie for third with Courtney Bures (2005-08) on MSU's all-time homers list.

Along with Seitz's career day was Kat Moore, who turned in a career performance of her own. The sophomore went 4-for-5, recording her first-career four-hit game. She tallied three RBI, two runs, a triple and a double to round out a stellar showing.

MSU opened up the scoring in the first inning thanks to Moore's triple that set up Seitz's first RBI of the day, a sac fly that gave State a 1-0 lead. Georgia responded in the home half of the frame, driving home a run on a groundout to tie things up at 1-1.

Moore returned for more in the third, knocking a two-RBI double through the right side to push MSU back in the lead, 3-1. Georgia cut the lead down to one in the bottom of the third thanks to a solo home run.

Georgia seemed to grab the momentum in the fourth, when an MSU error allowed a pair of runs to score to give UGA a 4-3 lead. However, the Dogs from Starkville were able to tie things up just a half an inning later thanks to an RBI single from Seitz that scored Moore.

Tied at 4-4, MSU would look for a spark to blow things open and that came in the form of Seitz's bat. Amanda Ivy led off the inning with one of her two hits on the day, followed by a base hit from Robinson. After a UGA error allowed Reggie Harrison to reach safely and load the bases, Seitz stepped up the plate to work her magic.

On a 3-1 pitch, Seitz blasted a shot to the trees in left center, as the 33^rd grand slam in MSU history pushed the State lead to 8-4.

An inning later, Moore put the finishing touches on her day with an RBI single that brought home an insurance run for the Maroon and White, making it 9-4. Cassady Knudsen came back out in the bottom half of the frame, ringing up a 1-2-3 inning to secure MSU's fourth ranked win of the year, downing No. 19 Georgia.

It was the fourth-career complete game for Knudsen, as she struck out three and walked four to pick up her seventh victory of the season.

Along with Seitz and Moore, Robinson and Ivy both turned in multi-hit performances. Robinson (2-for-4, two runs) now has 10 multi-hit games this season, while Ivy (2-for-3, three runs, one double) now has three.

MSU will return to Jack Turner Stadium on Saturday looking to capture its second-straight SEC series. First pitch in the battle of the Bulldogs is set for 1 p.m. CT, and will be broadcast online on the SEC Network +. Fans can access the broadcast through WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.

Series Schedule Against Georgia…
Friday, April 14 – Mississippi State def. No. 19 Georgia, 9-4
Saturday, April 15 – Mississippi State at No. 19 Georgia (1 p.m. CT)
Sunday, April 16 – Mississippi State at No. 19 Georgia (1 p.m. CT)

Scoring Plays Versus No. 19 Georgia…
1^st Inning – After Kat Moore starts things off with a triple, Caroline Seitz drives her home with a sac fly to centerfield, giving MSU a 1-0 lead.
3^rd Inning – Moore's dominating day continued, as she knocked a two-RBI double through the right side to push MSU back in front, 3-1.
5^th Inning – After UGA took a one-run lead, Seitz picked up an RBI single through the left side to tie things up at 4-4.
6^th Inning – After tying the game the inning prior, Seitz returned to the plate and broke the contest wide open with her first-career grand slam, a monster shot to the trees in left, making it 8-4 MSU.
7^th Inning – Moore kept her impressive day at the plate rolling, turning in hit No. 4 of the day with an RBI single to give State a five-run lead.

Have A Day, Kat Moore…
Kat Moore put on a show at the plate for the Bulldogs on Friday night. The sophomore went 4-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, a triple and a double. The four hits set a new career high, while the three RBI tied a career high set earlier this season against Central Arkansas (March 5, 2017).

Seitz Having A GRAND Time In Athens…
When the ball left Caroline Seitz's bat in the sixth, there was no doubt it was gone for good. With the bases loaded, Seitz sent a shot to the trees in left, giving State an 8-4 lead with her first-career grand slam.

It was also the 33^rd grand slam in school history and the 31^st homer of her career. She is now tied for third on MSU's all-time home runs list with Courtney Bures (2005-08).

That grand slam rolled in four of Seitz's career-high six RBIs on the night. Her previous high was four, which she last reached against LSU on April 15, 2016. Her season total for multi-RBI contests is now at seven, which continues to lead the team.

Bell Ties Season-High Streak…
With her single in the top of the third, Morgan Bell extended her season-high hitting streak to four-straight games. She is now one game away from tying her career high of five-straight contests with a hit.

Robinson Hits Double Digits…
Bevia Robinson has been a force in all aspects of the game this season for the Maroon and White and Friday night was no different. Robinson went 2-for-4 at the plate, recording her 10^th multi-hit game of the season. She also stole her 24^th base of the season, continuing her tear on the base paths.

Knudsen Keeps Dealing For Seventh Win…
Not to be forgotten was the pitching performance of Cassady Knudsen, who tossed her fourth-career complete game to pick up win No. 7 on the year. For the night, Knudsen struck out three and walked four while only allowing four hits and four runs, two of which were earned.

Late Innings, Still Our Innings…
Down 4-3 in the fourth, the Maroon and White rallied for their 13^th come-from-behind win of the season, now three more than State had in 2016. Seitz's grand slam in the sixth gave MSU an 8-4 lead after six frames, putting MSU at 19-0 when leading after six innings.

Ranked Wins Keep Coming…
With the victory Friday night, Vann Stuedeman and the Bulldogs now have four ranked victories this season. That bests the season total of three ranked wins State had all of last season.

Hits On Hits On Hits…
For the 12^th time this season, the Bulldogs recorded 10-plus hits in a contest, turning in 12 against Georgia on Friday night. MSU is now 12-0 when reaching the 10-hit mark this season.

Weather…
Saturday's Forecast (April 15) – Partly Cloudy, 82 Degrees (20%)
Sunday's Forecast (April 16) – Isolated Thunderstorms, 83 Degrees (30%)

Live Stream…
All three of this weekend's contests will live streamed through the SEC Network +. Fans can access the games through WatchESPN.com, the ESPN app or clicking the links below.

Mississippi State at Georgia SEC Network + Broadcast (Saturday)
Mississippi State at Georgia SEC Network + Broadcast (Sunday)

Live Stats…
Mississippi State will provide live stats for all three games this weekend. They can be found in the link below.

Mississippi State at Georgia Live Stats (Saturday)
Mississippi State at Georgia Live Stats (Sunday)

Admission…
Admission to this weekend's games at Jack Turner Softball Stadium are free.

Up Next…
The Bulldogs will take on Alcorn State on Tuesday, April 18 in their final non-conference matchup of the 2017 regular season. First pitch from Lorman, Miss., is set for 3 p.m. CT.

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".