Softball Welcomes Kentucky For Thursday Doubleheader
April 02, 2008 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Coming off their win at the 2008 Bully Bash, the Mississippi State University softball team continues Southeastern Conference action Thursday hosting the Kentucky Wildcats. First pitch for the doubleheader is set for 4 p.m. from the MSU Softball Field. Thursday's second game, scheduled for a 6 p.m. start, will be broadcast live on WMSV 91.1 and online at http://www.wmsv.msstate.edu/.
The Bulldogs enter the game at 30-11 on the year (4-7 SEC) and are playing in their first contest since Sunday afternoon. Tuesday's scheduled contest at Mississippi Valley State was canceled due to rain.
Chelsea Bramlett continues to pace the Bulldogs at the plate this season, hitting at a .428 clip with a team high 38 runs and 34-of-35 stolen bases. Bramlett has hit two doubles, three triples and a pair of home runs, including the Bulldogs' second inside-the-park home run of the season, during the Bully Bash.
Senior Courtney Bures continues to climb the batting charts for the Bulldogs as she improved her average to .397 with a .500 (10-for-20) week at the plate that included eight RBI which moved her into second place on the all-time career RBI chart. Bures leads the team with 10 doubles and 29 RBI, and she has scored 26 times, third most on the team, while contributing a triple and a team second-best three home runs.
Freshman Jessie Spain also performed well at the plate for MSU last week. Spain hit .500 on the week and launched her first career home run against LSU on Wednesday. During the Bully Bash, Spain went 4-for-8 at the plate, drove in two runs, scored five times and collected a pair of doubles.
Kentucky enters the game at 13-19 on the year and 1-8 in league play. The Wildcats fell to Indiana in two contests Tuesday afternoon at the UK Softball Complex. UK and the Hooisers combined for 29 runs in the second game, which saw IU come out on top 16-13. The Hooisers won game one, 5-4.
Following Thursdays' game, MState welcomes third-ranked Florida to the MSU Softball Field. The Bulldogs and Gators begin their three-game series with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday's single game is set for 1 p.m.
