MState Softball Falls Short In Upset Bid Of No. 2 Alabama

Sunday, March 15

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

1:30 PM

Mississippi State

14-9, 0

#2 Alabama

23-2, 0

Mississippi State

Alabama

State Softball Drops Pair Of Tough Decisions To Kentucky

MState Softball Falls Short In Upset Bid Of No. 2 Alabama

March 15, 2009 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

? Official Statistics
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ? Mississippi State's Lindsey Dunlap made a 2-1 lead hold up until the sixth inning when Amanda Locke's two-run double rallied No. 2 Alabama to a 3-2 win and a sweep of the three-game series at the UA Softball Complex in Tuscaloosa.

The Bulldogs drop to 14-9 and 0-3 in Southeastern Conference play, while UA improves to 23-2 and 3-0 in the conference.

Dunlap, the freshman from Hueytown, Ala., fell to 6-5 in the complete-game effort as she surrendered three runs on six hits with four strikeouts.

“Lindsey did a great job on the mound for us and gave us a chance to win,” MState head coach Jay Miller said. “We did a nice job of getting some runs early, but we couldn't build on the lead. We had a great opportunity late in the game, but we just didn't get it done. We're still looking for someone to step up in those situations.”

After struggling to scratch across runs in Saturday's opening two games of the series, the MState offense staked Dunlap to a 2-0 first-inning advantage.

Chelsea Bramlett sparked the inning as she reached on an infield single to first base. Bramlett paced State with a 2-for-4 afternoon that extended her hit streak to a career-best 16 games.

Bramlett stole second and then took third on an Ali Bainbridge sacrifice bunt. Brittany Bell drew a one-out walk and stole second on a Ka'ili Smith strikeout. With two outs, Jessie Bailey hit a hard ground ball that deflected off the glove of UA starter Kelsi Dunne. A low throw by Dunne to first allowed Bramlett and Bell to score and give MSU a 2-0 advantage.

Dunne picked up her second win of the weekend to move to 10-0 overall. She allowed the two unearned runs on four hits with a pair of walks and eight strikeouts while going the distance.

Alabama cut the lead to one in the home half of the first. Jennifer Fenton reached on a one-out bunt single to Dunlap. After a Kelley Montalvo fly-out, Fenton stole second and scored as Charlotte Morgan delivered one of her two hits in the game, an RBI single up the middle.

Both teams had opportunities over the next four innings, but neither squad could capitalize until UA struck the deciding blow in the sixth.

Bama had the chance to tie in the second as Lauren Parker led off with a double to right field and took third on a Ashley Holcombe ground-out with one away. Dunlap, however, got Kellie Eubanks to strikeout to end the inning.

She thwarted another UA tying opportunity in the fourth. After Morgan walked to open the frame, Whitney Larsen advanced pinch-runner Lisa Elizondo to second with a sacrifice bunt. Locke looked to have plated the tying run with a ground ball through the left side, but Bulldog shortstop Allie Heon made a diving stop to keep Elizondo at third. Dunlap struck out Holcombe to work out of the jam.

MState had a chance to expand the lead in the fifth as Brittany Gates was hit by a pitch and Bramlett beat-out a bunt to Dunne. Bainbridge moved the runners to third and second, respectively, but they were left stranded as Dunne struck out Brittany Bell and Smith.

The Crimson Tide clinched the victory in the sixth as Morgan singled to left. Two batters later, Parker was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with one out. Locke, who went 2-for-3 in the game, scored both as she lined a 2-2 pitch to the wall in left-center.

Miller's Bulldogs return home for the first time since Feb. 22, hosting SEC West foe Arkansas in a three-game set Tuesday and Wednesday at the MSU Softball Field. The Bulldogs and Razorbacks open the set with a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Tuesday. Wednesday's series finale is scheduled for a 4 p.m. first pitch. Admission to all MState home games is free.