No. 24 MSU Softball Sweeps Opening Two Games Of Series With Gamecocks

Saturday, April 12

Columbia, S.C.

12:00 p.m.

Mississippi State

33-15, 0

South Carolina (DH-1)

20-16, 0

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

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

Bulldogs Drop Hard-Fought 1-0 Decision To No. 3 Alabama At SEC Tournament

No. 24 MSU Softball Sweeps Opening Two Games Of Series With Gamecocks

April 12, 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)

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Mississippi State got a pair of stellar pitching performances from Misty Flesher and Kelsey Nurnberg as the 24th-ranked Bulldog softball team swept a pair of games from South Carolina 1-0 and 3-1 Saturday afternoon at Beckham Field in Columbia, S.C.

The Bulldogs move to 34-15 on the year and 8-10 in Southeastern Conference play. South Carolina dropped to 20-17, 7-9 in league play with the two losses.

Flesher improved to 14-7 on the campaign as she allowed five hits and struck out four in the complete-game shutout in game one. Nurnberg clinched the sweep as she allowed a run on six hits with five strikeouts to improve to 16-7 on the season.

"We got great pitching from Kelsey and Misty today," MState head coach Jay Miller said. "Kelsey let a change-up get away from her, but she dominated the rest of the way after giving up the home run. Our defense did a great job, and our offense scratched across enough runs to win a pair of games. We managed our at-bats better today than we have. I was pleased with the way we played today. Brittany Bell had a big hit and catch for us. We came in looking to win an SEC series on the road, and now we want to take advantage of the opportunity to get a series sweep."

After enduring a one hour, 22-minute rain delay following the fourth inning of the series opener, State scored the game's only run in the top of the fifth inning. Back-to-back singles by Sammie Jo Bailey and Hayle Guess, who went 2-for-3 in the game and 3-for-7 on the afternoon, got the offense going. Jessie Bailey, who was 2-for-2 with a sacrifice in game one, then dropped a bunt and reached as Sammie Jo Bailey beat the throw to third.

Sammie Jo Bailey was thrown out at home on a Lindsay Hunley ground ball, but Brittany Bell delivered a one-out single that dropped just over the glove of USC second baseman Ashton Payne and scored Guess to give MSU the 1-0 lead.

Down to their final three outs, the Gamecocks threatened with a lead-off double to left by Jessica Josker. Flesher, however, got a pop-out to first, a ground-out to short and a strikeout to seal the MSU victory.

Unlike the opening game, the Bulldog offense struck early, taking advantage of three Gamecock errors to plate three runs in the first.

Chelsea Bramlett drew a lead-off walk, and Ali Bainbridge reached on a bouncer to second that Payne was unable to field. Both runners stole third and second, respectively, and Bramlett scored as the throw by USC catcher P.J. Fulmer to third bounced out of play.

Bainbridge put State up 2-0 as she scored on a Courtney Bures fly ball to shallow right that bounced off the glove of the second baseman Payne. Bures, who advanced to second on the error, scored on a Guess single to center field to put the Bulldogs up 3-0.

USC picked up its first run of the series in the bottom of the second as Jill Semento hit her fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to left, to lead off the second. Josker followed with a base hit, but Nurnberg got a pop-out to Bramlett and two strikeouts to end the threat.

Nurnberg stifled USC the rest of the way, holding the Gamecocks to just six hits over the final five innings.

The Bulldogs will go for the series sweep Sunday in a game set for a noon CST first pitch. The series finale will be carried live on WMSV 91.1 and online at http://www.wmsv.msstate.edu.