No. 24 MSU Scores Seven Unanswered To Claim Series Victory Over No. 21 Georgia

Sunday, April 20

Starkville

1:00 p.m.

Mississippi State

37-16, 0

#21 Georgia

37-19, 0

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

MSU Softball Falls 6-5 In Extra Innings To Colorado State

No. 24 MSU Scores Seven Unanswered To Claim Series Victory Over No. 21 Georgia

April 20, 2008 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

? Official Statistics
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STARKVILLE, Miss. ? The 24th-ranked Mississippi State softball team scored seven unanswered runs over the final four innings to rally from a 4-0 deficit and claim a 7-4 victory over No. 21 Georgia in Sunday's rubber game at the MSU Softball Field.

The win moves the Bulldogs to 37-16 overall and 11-11 in league play. It also puts State ahead of UGA (37-19, 10-12 SEC) and Auburn for the fourth seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament with two weekends remaining.

A day after becoming the school's career RBI leader, senior Courtney Bures put together another solid day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with an RBI. On the weekend, the Haymarket, Va., native hit .750 (6-for-8) with a home run, a double, four RBI and two runs scored.

Freshman Brittany Bell added a pair or hits, drove in a run and scored another as she concluded the weekend by hitting .625 with her first career home run, a double, three RBI and four runs scored.

The Bulldogs added another record during Sunday's game as Nakita Boyce's third-inning stolen base gave the team the MSU single-season stolen base record with 117 over 53 games.

That third inning proved to be the turning point for State as it found its rhythm offensively after Georgia put together a run in the first and three more in the second. Megan Bateman, who drew her first three career SEC starts behind the plate this weekend, led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. She moved to third on Bell's infield single and scored on Boyce's single through the right side that chased UGA starter Christie Hamilton from the game.

Boyce stole second and, following an Ali Bainbridge walk, Bell cut the UGA lead to 4-2 as she scored on Bures' single to second base off Sarah McCloud, who suffered the loss to fall to 13-5 on the season. State cut Georgia's lead to a single run as Boyce came home on Hayle Guess' pop-fly that was snagged in shallow right field by second baseman Sojourner Moody.

The inning sparked State starter Misty Flesher, as she held Georgia to one hit the rest of the way. Flesher picked up her second victory of the weekend, and fourth in a six-game span, to move to 17-7 on the year. The Lone Grove, Okla., native allowed four runs on five hits, struck out one and walked two in the complete-game effort.

“We had another great pitching performance from Misty today,” MState head coach Jay Miller said. “We didn't make some plays defensively over the first couple of innings, but Misty really settled in and made great pitches when she needed to. It gave our offense the opportunity to battle back, and I was really pleased with our patience and fight at the plate. Today showed what this team is made of. We had great leadership from our seniors, and our younger players really made some big plays for us this weekend.”

State's offense gave Flesher the lead she wouldn't relinquish with another three-run burst in the fourth to take a 6-4 lead. Sammie Jo Bailey led off with a single, and after moving to second on a Bateman sacrifice bunt, scored the tying run on Bell's line dive up the middle. Bell stole second, advanced to third on a Boyce ground-out and gave MSU the lead as she came home on Bainbridge's single to right. Guess put the Bulldogs up by a pair as she lined a single to right-center that scored Bainbridge.

The three-run fourth brought Hamilton back into the circle for UGA in the fifth, but State managed to add its final run as Lindsay Hunley, who pinch-ran for Courtney Nesbit following a lead-off double, moved to third on a Sammie Jo Bailey sacrifice bunt and scored on pinch-hitter Jessie Spain's sacrifice fly to left field.

Mississippi State plays its final non-conference game of the season on Wednesday, hosting Southern Mississippi in a 6:30 p.m. contest at the MSU Softball Field. The Bulldogs close out the 2008 regular season home slate next weekend, welcoming the Tennessee Lady Vols for a three-game series.