MSU Moves To 5-0 With Nine-Inning Thriller Over California

Sunday, February 10

Cathedral City , Calif.

11:00 a.m.

Mississippi State

5-0

California

2-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Mississippi State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	4	4	0
California	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	8	3

Bulldog Pitchers Hurl MState Softball To Sweep Of Jackson State

MSU Moves To 5-0 With Nine-Inning Thriller Over California

February 10, 2008 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

? Official Statistics (vs. Cal)
? Official Statistics (vs. Cal) (PDF)

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. ? Mississippi State broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the ninth inning to down California 4-1 and claim a share of the Cathedral City Kickoff championship. The win moves MSU to 5-0 on the season, while Cal fell to 2-3 on the year.

Kelsey Nurnberg moved to 3-0 on the year as she allowed a run on eight hits with two strikeouts over eight innings. Freshman Misty Flesher picked up her first career save as she struck out one over the final inning.

Marissa Drewrey fell to 1-1 with the loss, allowing all four runs, none earned, on four hits with seven strikeouts in nine innings of work.

MSU broke the scoreless tie in the ninth after working out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth. With Bramlett on second via the international tiebreaker, Bainbridge moved her to third with a sacrifice. Courtney Bures broke the scoreless tie with her fielder's choice that plated Bramlett. The MSU bats came to life after that. Sammie Jo Bailey hit into a fielder's choice, and the Cal shortstop made an errant throw to third, allowing Bures to score and extend the lead to 2-0.

Hayle Guess capped the scoring with her triple to right-center field that scored pinch-runner Jessie Spain. The throw to third skipped out of play, allowing Guess to score for the 4-0 edge.

California battled back in the home half of the ninth. After a base hit from Katie Vickers put runners at first and third, Sanoe Kekahuna delivered a base hit that scored Cal's first run of the contest.

Both teams had plenty of opportunities to score in the contest. Cal (2-3) threatened in the home half of the opening frame. Valerie Arioto led off with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Erica Racklin, but Nurnberg got a pair of infield flyouts to work out of the jam.

The Bulldogs put up their own threat in the third as Lindsay Hunley led off with a walk and moved to second on Nakita Boyce's infield base hit. Chelsea Bramlett moved both runners to third with her ground out to first base, but Drewery got Ali Bainbridge to ground out to end the threat.

The Golden Bears threatened again in the fourth following a leadoff walk to Bernice Masaniai. A throwing error by Jessie Bailey allowed pinch-runner Shannon Houston to be safe at second, but Nurnberg managed to get a pair of fly balls and a ground out to silence the threat.

The Bulldogs managed to stop another Cal rally in the fifth. Following a pair of one-out base hits from Arioto and Racklin, Gina Leomiti grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Bulldogs open the 2008 home slate Wednesday, hosting Mississippi Valley State in a game slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch. State will welcome Southern Illinois, Wright State and Fordham to Starkville Feb. 15-17 for the annual Bulldog Round-Robin.