Two-Run 10th Lifts MState Softball To 3-1 Win Over No. 6 Georgia, Doubleheader Split

Wednesday, April 15

Athens, Ga.

4:00 PM

Mississippi State

20-21, 2-14

#6 Georgia (DH-1)

30-7, 11-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Mississippi State	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	4
Georgia	0	4	6	0	X	10	10	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Mississippi State	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	3	9	2
Georgia	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	1

State Softball Drops Pair Of Tough Decisions To Kentucky

Two-Run 10th Lifts MState Softball To 3-1 Win Over No. 6 Georgia, Doubleheader Split

April 15, 2009 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: hailstate.com

? Official Statistics (Game 1)
? Official Statistics (Game 1) (PDF)
? Official Statistics (Game 2)
? Official Statistics (Game 2) (PDF)

ATHENS, Ga. ? Mississippi State scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning to upset No. 6 Georgia 3-1 and split a Southeastern Conference doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at the UGA Softball Stadium in Athens.

The Bulldogs improved to 21-21 and 3-14 in SEC play after dropping a 10-0 decision in five innings in the day's opening game.

After tying the nightcap 1-1 on pinch-hitter Laurie Siebert's sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh, Chelsea Bramlett sparked the decisive 10th with a one-out base hit, one of three in the game for the Cordova, Tenn., native. After Brittany Bell was hit by a pitch, freshman Ka'ili Smith hit a sacrifice fly to left-center. UGA centerfielder Taylor Schlopy fell on the warning track making the catch, allowing Bramlett to score the go-ahead run from second.

Bell took third on Smith's sacrifice fly, and she scored as Sammie Jo Bailey, who went 2-for-5 in the game, lined a double down the left-field line.

Freshman Lindsey Dunlap retired Georgia in order in the bottom of the inning to clinch the win and improve to 12-12 on the year. After surrendering a first-inning unearned run, the Hueytown, Ala., native held UGA to just three hits the rest of the way while striking out seven.

“Lindsey stepped up and pitched great after we didn't play well in the opening game,” MState head coach Jay Miller said. “We needed someone to pick us up, and she did that. She competed really well today. We started swinging the bats better the second time through the line-up and were finally able to get some runs across for her.”

Georgia took that early lead as Kristin Schnake and Alisa Goler reached on back-to-back one-out singles. Schnake took second on a wild pitch, and she scored as Goler attempted to steal and the throw from Bramlett sailed into center field.

UGA starter Christie Hamilton kept the Bulldog bats silent until MSU struck with the tying run in the top of the seventh. Smith and Sammie Jo Bailey led off with consecutive singles. Ali Bainbridge moved them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Georgia intentionally walked Jessie Bailey, who also collected two hits in the game, to load the bases. Siebert plated Smith with the tying run as she hit a towering sacrifice fly to the warning track in left-center.

“Laurie had a huge sacrifice fly for us,” Miller said. “She hit it hard, and I thought it had a chance to get over the centerfielder's head. It allowed us to tie the game and ultimately win it.”

Hamilton fell to 15-6 in the complete-game effort. She surrendered three runs on nine hits with a pair of strikeouts and two walks.

UGA got a Jennie Auger lead-off walk to open the bottom of the seventh. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, but Brittany Gates made a diving catch in center field and doubled-up Auger at second to get out of the jam.

The Maroon and White threatened in the top of the eighth as Bramlett bounced a base hit into left and stole second. Sophomore Brittany Bell drew a walk on four consecutive pitches, but Georgia got Smith to ground into an inning-ending double play.

State narrowly missed on another chance to take the lead in the ninth. Bainbridge delivered a one-out single to left, and she moved to third as Jessie Bailey lined a double off the wall in center. Jessie Spain dropped a bunt, but Bainbridge was thrown out at the plate to keep the score tied.

Mississippi State capitalized on its scoring opportunities in the second game after stranding six runners, five in scoring position, in the opener. Bell, Smith and Jessie Bailey each collected hits for the Bulldogs.

UGA broke the scoreless tie with a four-run second inning. Ashley Pauly put Georgia up 3-0 with a bases-clearing triple. She capped the inning as she scored on a Lisaira Daniels ground-out to second.

The home-standing Bulldogs tacked on six in the third aided by three MState miscues. Goler led off with a home run to right. Brianna Hesson, who went 3-for-3 in the game, doubled and scored on a two-run round-tripper from Tori Moody. Following a base hit from Auger, Pauly reached on an error. Both runners scored as Schlopy lined a triple off the wall in center field. Schlopy scored as the throw to the infield went into the Georgia dugout.

Kelsey Nurnberg suffered the loss to fall to 9-7 on the year. The senior from Ankeny, Iowa, surrendered 10 runs, seven earned, on 10 hits with two strikeouts and a walk in the complete-game effort.

Georgia starter Sarah McCloud improved to 12-2 as she tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout.

Mississippi State returns home to welcome South Carolina for a three-game SEC series as part of MSU's Super Bulldog Weekend presented by Regions Bank. The two teams open the series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday's series finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Admission to all MState home softball games is free, and the games will be broadcast live on WMSV 91.1 FM and online at http://www.wmsv.msstate.edu/.