Smith Drives In A Pair Of Runs As MState Softball Falls 7-5 To No. 20 LSU

Sunday, March 22

Starkville

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

14-15, 0

#21 LSU

20-6, 0

LSU

Mississippi State

MState Softball's Smith Named SEC Freshman Of The Week

Smith Drives In A Pair Of Runs As MState Softball Falls 7-5 To No. 20 LSU

March 22, 2009 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

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STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Mississippi State freshman outfielder Ka'ili Smith collected a pair of hits and drove in two runs to help the Bulldog softball team to an early 5-1 lead Sunday afternoon before No. 20 LSU rallied with six runs over the final three innings to escape with a 7-5 victory.

Smith, who reached base in all four at-bats in the game, added her fourth triple of the season and a base hit in the seventh to finish the weekend with a .444 average. The Kapolei, Hawaii, native drove in half of State's 10 runs on the weekend.

Junior Chelsea Bramlett, who hit safely in her fifth straight game, drove in a run along with sophomore Courtney Nesbit.

The win clinched a sweep of the series for the Tigers, who improved to 20-6 and 7-2 in SEC play. The Bulldogs dropped their 10th straight decision to fall to 14-15 overall, 0-9 in the league.

LSU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Juliana Santos and Rachel Mitchell lined back-to-back two-out doubles to the wall in center.

The Bulldogs answered, back, however scoring all five of their runs over the next four innings. MSU tied the game with a run in the home half of the first. Bramlett led off the inning with a double down the right-field line, and she scored as Smith lined a triple over the out-stretched glove of LSU's Kirsten Shortridge in center.

Head coach Jay Miller's squad took the lead in the bottom of the second as it took advantage of all three walks issued by the Tiger pitchers. With one out in the frame, freshman Courtney Moore lined a single up the middle. Nesbit walked and sophomore Jessie Spain chased LSU starter Brittany Mack when she was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Bramlett put State up 2-1 as she drew a bases-loaded walk from LSU reliever Cody Trahan that plated pinch-runner Allie Heon. After a strikeout, Smith pushed across the final run of the inning as she walked to score Nesbit.

The Bulldogs extended the lead to 4-1 in the third as Ali Bainbridge led off the inning base hit to right, stole second and scored three batters later on Nesbit's double that landed on the line in left field.

Mississippi State added another run in the fifth to take a 5-1 advantage. Brittany Bell was hit by a pitch with one out, and after stealing second, she came home on Smith's ground ball that got away from LSU second baseman Courtney Hollier.

“I thought we did a nice job jumping out to the lead, but we sat on it instead of building on it,” Miller said. “Ka'ili had a great weekend for us. She had some key hits in key situations. She really elevated her game, but we need her teammates to do the same thing. You can't give up 14 hits in a game and expect to win in the SEC.”

Despite taking the four-run lead, the Bulldogs were unable to hold on as LSU used a three-run fifth to cut the lead to a single run at 5-4. Anissa Young, who paced the Tigers' 14-hit attack with a 2-for-4, three-RBI afternoon, led off the inning with a solo home run to left-center. Two batters later, Jessica Mouse and Shortridge reached on consecutive base hits that chased Bulldog starter Kelsey Nurnberg. Freshman Lindsey Dunlap hit Jazz Jackson to load the bases, and after retiring the hot-hitting Juliana Santos for the second out of the inning, Rachel Mitchell lined a base hit up the middle that scored Mouse and Shortridge.

The Tigers plated two more runs in the sixth to take a 6-5 lead that they would not relinquish. Jessica Mouse tied the game as she lined a two-out triple to the left-field corner that scored Young, who was hit by a pitch. The triple brought Nurnberg back into the game, and Shortridge, the first hitter she faced, bounced a single over the right side of the infield that scored Mouse and gave LSU the 6-5 lead.

The Tigers added their final in the seventh on Young's RBI-single that brought home Ashley Langoni.

Dunlap fell to 6-9 as she was tagged for two runs on two hits over 1 1/3 innings. Nurnberg allowed five runs on 12 hits and struck out six over 5 2/3 innings.

Casey Faile held the Bulldogs to one hit and struck out three over the final three innings to earn the win and improve to 4-2. Mack lasted just 1 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on three hits with four strikeouts. Trahan was tagged for a pair of runs (one earned) on two hits with a pair of strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings of relief work.

State opens an eight-game road swing Tuesday, traveling to Birmingham for a 6 p.m. non-conference tilt with UAB.