Mississippi State
6-2
Florida State
8-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| Mississippi State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | X | 5 | 8 | 0 |
MState Softball Rallies For 5-4 Win Over Florida State
February 15, 2009 | Softball
? Official Statistics (PDF)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ? Courtney Moore's two-run base hit sparked a four-run fifth inning as the Mississippi State softball team rallied for a 5-4 win over Florida State Sunday afternoon that clinched the Sunshine Classic title at JoAnne Graf Field in Tallahassee.
State finished the weekend 3-0 and improved to 6-2 on the year.
“We're a young team that is growing up every weekend. We have a lot of talent, and if we keep improving, we are going to have a good team at the end of the year,” MState head coach Jay Miller, who became the school's winningest coach this weekend, said. “I was really pleased with the way we came out and battled this weekend.”
Trailing 4-1 entering the decisive fifth, junior Jessie Bailey and sophomore Allie Heon led off the inning with back-to-back singles. The pair advanced to second on a wild pitch, and Bailey scored on a Chelsea Bramlett sacrifice fly to left. Bramlett also drove in a run in the contest.
Pinch-hitter Jessie Spain followed with a walk, and sophomore Brittany Bell delivered a base hit that loaded the bases. Moore, one of eight Bulldogs with a hit on the day, knotted the game with a two-run single to right-center that scored Heon and
Sammie Jo Bailey gave State the lead as she hit a ground ball to short off reliever Lauren Varsalona.
Gober suffered her first defeat of the season, giving up five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings to fall to 5-1. Varsalona allowed a hit and struck out two over the final inning and a third.
Freshman Lindsey Dunlap retired six of the last seven FSU hitters she faced to pick up the win in relief. The Hueytown,
“That was a great win for our team. We got down 4-1, and it became a question of whether we would pack it in or fight back,” Miller said. “Good things happen when you fight. Courtney Moore came up with a big hit for us today, and Lindsey really did a nice job in relief after they jumped out to an early lead.”
The Seminoles took the early advantage as Kristie McConn hit her second career home run, a two-run shot over the wall in left field, off Bulldog starter Kelsey Nurnberg.
The Bulldogs cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the third. With one out, freshman Brittany Gates reached on a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bramlett. The
FSU extended the lead to 4-1 two innings later as Kaleigh Rafter hit her second home run of the season, a two-run blast over the left-field wall.
The Bulldogs return to the friendly confines of the MSU Softball Field this weekend, hosting Rutgers,
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dunlap, Lindsey (3-0)
L: Terese Gober (5-1)
Batting:
HR: Kaleigh Rafter 1 ; Kristie McConn 1
RBI: Kaleigh Rafter 2 ; Kristie McConn 2
SH: Monica Montez 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Carly Wynn 1 ; Amber Bryant 1 ; Kaleigh Rafter 1 ; Kristie McConn 1
CS: Monica Montez 1 ; Ashley Stager 1
HBP: Monica Montez 1
Batting:
RBI: Bramlett, Chelsea 1 ; Bainbridge, Ali 1 ; Moore, Courtney 2 ; Bailey, Sammie Jo 1
SH: Bramlett, Chelsea 1
SF: Bramlett, Chelsea 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Spain, Jessie 1 ; Bell, Brittany 1 ; Bailey, Jessie 1 ; Heon, Allie 1 ; Gates, Brittany 1
CS: Bell, Brittany 1
HBP: Bainbridge, Ali 1
