No. 15 MSU Drops Pair Of Hard-Fought Games To No. 2 Alabama

Saturday, March 15

Starkville

1:00 p.m.

Mississippi State

22-7, 0

#2 Alabama (DH-1)

22-3, 0

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

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Alabama	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	4	10	1
Mississippi State	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	6	1

MSU Softball Wins Pair Of Exhibition Games

No. 15 MSU Drops Pair Of Hard-Fought Games To No. 2 Alabama

March 15, 2008 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: hailstate.com

? Official Statistics (Game 1)
? Official Statistics (Game 1) (PDF)
? Official Statistics (Game 2)
? Official Statistics (Game 2) (PDF)

STARKVILLE, Miss. - The 15th-ranked Mississippi State softball team got a pair of solid pitching performances from Kelsey Nurnberg and Misty Flesher, but the Bulldogs dropped 2-0 and 4-2 decisions to No. 2 Alabama Saturday afternoon at the MSU Softball Field.

MSU moves to 22-8 on the year and 1-4 in the SEC, while Alabama improves to 23-3 and 5-2 in the conference.

State got a pair of hits from Hayle Guess and RBIs from Courtney Bures and Sammie Jo Bailey in the second game, but the Crimson Tide rallied with a run in the top of the fourth and two more in the fifth to pull out the 4-2 win.

"I thought we played good softball today. We didn't play good ball, which is what it takes to beat a team like Alabama," Bulldog head coach Jay Miller said. "We had a lot of opportunities and didn't take advantage. We didn't execute offensively, and that was the difference. They got the key two-out hit, and we didn't do that when we had the chance. Hopefully we can get that turned around tomorrow and take advantage of opportunities."

After Bama jumped on top 1-0 in the top of the first, MSU rallied in the home half of the frame. Chelsea Bramlett was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, and she moved to second on Ali Bainbridge's sacrifice bunt. Guess beat out a bunt to move Bramlett to third, and Bures scored her with a sacrifice fly to left.

Mississippi State took the lead in the bottom of the third as Bures hit a two-out double to right center and scored on Bailey's single up the middle.

The Crimson Tide tied the game in the top of the fourth as Kellie Eubanks, who went 2-for-3 in the game, doubled and scored on Brittany Rogers' single up the middle. UA claimed the lead for good the next inning as Ashley Holcombe chopped a two-run single into left that plated Kelley Montalvo and Lauren Parker.

State had opportunities to tie or re-take the lead in the second game, but the Bulldogs left nine runners on base in the contest, including the bases loaded in the fifth.

Misty Flesher fell to 7-5 on the year as she surrendered the four runs on nine hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Fellow freshman Elizabeth Woolven tossed the final two frames, allowing one hit to the seven hitters she faced.

Charlotte Morgan improved to 5-0 on the year as she picked up the win in game two. Morgan allowed the two MSU runs on five hits with two strikeouts over four innings. Kelsi Dunne, the winner in game one, earned her third save as she limited MSU to a hit while walking three and striking out one over the final two innings.

Dunne moved to 10-3 on the year as she scattered five hits and struck out seven in a complete-game effort in the opener. State junior Kelsey Nurnberg dropped to 12-3 on the season as she endured the loss in the series opener. Nurnberg allowed a pair of runs, only one earned, on seven hits with two strikeouts and four walks.

Alabama scored all it would need in the opening game with a run in both the second and third innings. The Crimson Tide jumped on top in the second with a bases-loaded walk to Rogers, and they claimed the final 2-0 lead in the third on Holcombe's sacrifice fly to center field.

The two teams conclude the three-game set on Sunday, with first pitch at the MSU Softball Field set for 1 p.m. The final game of the series will be broadcast live on WMSV 91.1 and online at http://admin.xosn.com/articles/www.wmsv.msstate.edu.