Mississippi State
12-5
Oregon State
12-11
State Softball Splits Again In Hawai'i Tourney
March 06, 2009 | Softball
? Official Statistics (vs. Oregon State) (PDF)
? Official Statistics (vs. Hawai'i)
? Official Statistics (vs. Hawai'i) (PDF)
HONOLULU, Hawaii ? A 10-run third inning lifted the No. 25 Mississippi State softball team to a 14-11 win over host Hawaii and a split of Friday's action at the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament in Honolulu. The day's games were a tale of opposites as the Bulldogs fell 2-0 to
Chelsea Bramlett went 2-for-5 with three runs scored in the nightcap. The junior from
Sophomores Ali Bainbridge and Courtney Nesbit added two doubles each against the Rainbow Wahine (8-12) as head coach Jay Miller's squad matched a school record with five two-baggers in the game. Bainbridge drove in a career-high four RBI as the Bulldogs (13-5) scored their most runs in a game since plating 19 against
Sophomore Brittany Bell's lone hit of the day was a big one, as she hit her second home run of the year, a three-run shot in the decisive third. Freshman Ka'ili Smith, a Kapolei native, continued her impressive return to her home state, adding two more hits Friday evening after notching a trio of doubles on Thursday.
“We had some people step up and drive in some runs for us against
State struck with a run in the first as Bramlett reached on the first of six Rainbow Wahine errors in the game. After stealing second, she scored on a Bainbridge double to left-center.
The Bulldogs pushed the lead to 11-0 as they pounded out seven hits and took advantage of three UH errors. Bramlett led off with a bunt single, and she took second on an errant throw by the first baseman. Allie Heon advanced her to third with a sacrifice bunt, and Bramlett made it a 3-0 game as she beat the throw home on a Bainbridge ground ball to short.
Courtney Moore followed with a ground ball back to UH starting pitcher Stephanie Ricketts, but Bainbridge was safe at second as Ricketts' throw sailed into center field. Nesbit pushed the MState lead to 4-0 with a double to center that scored Bainbridge from second base.
Moore, who took third on Nesbit's double, made it a 5-0 game as she scored on a Jessie Bailey single through the left side of the infield. Freshman Ka'ili Smith continued her outstanding homecoming, driving in Nesbit to extend the lead to 6-0.
The home run chased Ricketts from the game, but the Bulldogs tacked on the final two runs as Bainbridge doubled home Brittany Gates and Allie Heon after they were hit by a pitch and reached on an error, respectively.
State pushed the lead back out to a five-run advantage with a pair of runs in the sixth. Nesbit sparked the frame with a one-out double. After moving to third on a Jessie Bailey single to left, pinch-runner Jessie Spain scored as Smith lined a single through the left side. Bailey, who took second on the base hit, took third on the Smith single and scored as the ball was misplayed by the
Makani Duhaylonsod, who drove in four runs in the game, added UH's final three runs with a three-run shot to over the wall in left off Lindsey Dunlap, State's third pitcher in the game.
Kelsey Nurnberg, State's starter in the contest, returned in the sixth and retired six of the last eight hitters she faced to seal her win and move to 8-0 on the year.
“I was very pleased with the way Kelsey came back and shut them down after sitting around for a few innings,” Miller said. “She was throwing hard when she came back. She threw it right past them, and that's a good sign for us.”
Sophomore Elizabeth Woolven surrendered three runs and a pair of hits in an inning and one-third, while Dunlap tossed two innings, giving up four runs on five hits with three walks in her second appearance of the day.
The Bulldogs added their final run in the seventh as Bramlett beat-out a bunt single, stole second and scored on pinch-hitter Sammie Jo Bailey's single to center.
Ricketts suffered the loss to fall to 3-4 on the year. In two different stints in the game, Ricketts allowed 11 runs, eight earned, on 11 hits with nine strikeouts over six and one-thirds innings. Duhaylonsod tossed two-thirds of an inning, giving up three unearned runs on a pair of hits.
State's 14-run, 13-hit attack was a stark contrast from earlier in the day when Miller's squad was unable to muster a run on six hits against
Dunlap suffered the loss, her third straight, to fall to 5-3 on the year. The Hueytown,
“Lindsey pitched a great game for us,” Miller said. “We had some opportunities, but we needed someone to step up and drive in some runs.”
Paige Hall tossed a six-hit shutout for OSU to move to 8-3 overall.
The Beavers' only runs of the game came in the fourth when Stefanie Ewing reached on a one-out single. Following an Erin Guzy strikeout, DeAnn Young walked and Nikki Chandler reached on an error to load the bases. Tarah Black hit a fly ball to center field that deflected off the glove of a diving Brittany Gates, scoring
The Bulldogs had a chance to jump out to a first-inning lead. Bramlett led off with a single and advanced to second on a Heon base hit to right field. A Bainbridge fielder's choice moved Bramlett to third, but a pop-out and ground-out thwarted the opportunity.
Bramlett gave the Bulldogs another chance in the third as she lined a one-out double to center field. Hall worked out of the jam, however, getting a pair of ground-outs to end the inning.
MState will play a single game on Saturday, challenging Mount Saint Mary's at 3 p.m. CST.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hall, Paige (8-3)
L: Dunlap, Lindsey (5-2)
Batting:
RBI: Black, Tarah 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Ewing, Stefanie 1 ; Young, DeAnn 1
SB: Lowe, McKenna 1
HBP: Lowe, McKenna 1 ; Ewing, Stefanie 1
Batting:
2B: Bramlett, Chelsea 1
Base Running:
SB: Bainbridge, Ali 1
CS: Bramlett, Chelsea 1
