No. 15 MSU Splits Opening Day Of Mercer Wingate Inn Classic

Saturday, February 23

Macon, Ga.

1:00 p.m.

Mississippi State

11-1

Western Kentucky

5-2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Mississippi State	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	5	0
Western Ky.	0	2	0	0	0	0	X	2	3	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Austin Peay	0	0	0	0	3	1	4	4	4
Mississippi State	0	3	2	0	4	3	12	12	1

MSU's Hayle Guess Named To SEC Community Service Team

No. 15 MSU Splits Opening Day Of Mercer Wingate Inn Classic

February 23, 2008 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: hailstate.com

? Official Statistics (vs. Western Kentucky)
? Official Statistics (vs. Western Kentucky) (PDF)
? Official Statistics (vs. Austin Peay)
? Official Statistics (vs. Austin Peay) (PDF)

MACON, Ga. ? Hayle Guess homered, and the 15th-ranked Mississippi State softball team got seven runs over the final two innings to knock off Austin Peay 12-4 in six innings and split its opening two games of the Mercer Wingate Inn Classic.

State got seven hits from the six through eight spots in the batting order to move to 12-1 on the season after being handed a 2-1 loss to Western Kentucky in the tournament opener.

"We were much better with the bats in the second game," MSU head coach Jay Miller said. "The bottom of our order did a great job in the second game. We answered well after letting them get back in the game."

After only being able to muster five hits in the opener, State's bats responded with 12 hits for starter Kelsey Nurnberg. The Ankeny, Iowa, native moved to 7-0 as she allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits with five strikeouts in the complete-game effort. Meagan Williams fell to 0-1 as she surrendered 12 runs, nine earned, on 12 hits in five and a third innings for the Lady Govs (0-2).

Ali Bainbridge, Jessie Bailey and Gina McCloud each picked up a pair of hits in the nightcap, with McCloud driving in two runs. After APSU cut the MSU lead to 5-3 in the top of the fifth, State answered with four runs in the fifth before freshman Jessie Spain closed out the game with her three-run double to the gap in right center.

The Bulldogs opened the jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead with three runs in the second. Bainbridge and Jessie Bailey led off with singles, and McCloud doubled to the wall in left to score Bainbridge. Lindsay Hunley scored Bailey on a fielder's choice, and Chelsea Bramlett capped the inning with her sacrifice fly that plated McCloud.

State extended the advantage to 5-0 the next inning as Courtney Nesbit walked and scored on Guess' blast, her second of the season, that sailed well over the fence in left-center.

After the Lady Govs plated three runs in the top of the fifth, State answered with four in the home half of the frame. Guess reached on an error to lead off, and after a pair of stolen bases, she scored on a wild pitch.

McCloud singled up the middle to plate Bainbridge, who walked. Brittany Bell then moved McCloud to third with a double to center, and Megan Bateman scored pinch-runner Jessie Spain with her sacrifice fly to center. Bell capped the four-run frame as she scored on Nakita Boyce's ground ball that went between the legs of Lady Gov third baseman Ashley Taylor.

Spain's bases-clearing double to the wall in right-center gave MSU the split after dropping the opening game of the day to WKU.

Sam Cronk's two-run home run in the second inning proved to be all Western Kentucky would need. Misty Flesher fell to 4-1 on the year as she allowed the two runs on three WKU (5-2) hits with a pair of strikeouts.

"We played well in the opening game against Western Kentucky, but we just couldn't get the hits when we needed them," Miller said. "Misty

(Flesher) threw well in the opener except for one pitch that ended up being the game-winner.

State tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Boyce, Courtney Bures and Sammie Jo Bailey, who went 2-for-3 in the game, each singled to load the bases. After Guess reached on a fielder's choice, Jessie Bailey drew a walk to score Bures and cut the Hilltopper lead to 2-1.

State was unable to get the tying run across as Bainbridge grounded out to short to end the game.

Jennifer Kempf went the distance for WKU, scattering five hits in running her record to 1-2 on the year.

The Bulldogs will play a pair of games to close out the weekend. MSU will face WKU in a rematch Sunday at 11 a.m. CST before taking on host Mercer in a game slated for a 3 p.m. CST first pitch.