Smith Homers As Bulldogs Split With Gamecocks On Super Bulldog Weekend

Saturday, April 18

Starkville

11:00 AM

Mississippi State

22-21, 4-14

South Carolina (DH-1)

18-18, 4-15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
South Carolina	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2	7	1
Mississippi State	0	0	0	0	4	0	X	4	7	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
South Carolina	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	2	5	0
Mississippi State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0

MState Softball's Smith Named SEC Freshman Of The Week

Smith Homers As Bulldogs Split With Gamecocks On Super Bulldog Weekend

April 18, 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)

STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Mississippi State freshman Ka'ili Smith's first career home run capped a four-run fifth inning and lifted the Bulldog softball team to a 4-2 win over South Carolina and a split of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader that was a part of Super Bulldog Weekend presented by Regions Bank.

A crowd of 662, the sixth-largest in MSU softball history, was in attendance as the Bulldogs moved to 22-22 overall and 4-15 in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina (19-18, 5-15 SEC) forced a rubber game on Sunday with a 2-0 win in the day's second game.

State sophomore Jessie Spain kicked off the decisive fifth inning with a single to the shortstop. Spain took second on a Courtney Moore sacrifice bunt, and two batters later junior Chelsea Bramlett, who went 3-for-6 on the afternoon, was intentionally walked.

Brittany Bell followed with one of her three hits in the game, a slow bouncer up the middle that was snagged by USC shortstop Jill Semento. Bramlett beat Semento's toss to second, but second baseman Evan Childs dropped the throw, allowing Spain to score from third and put MSU up 1-0.

Smith then stepped to the plate and capped the inning as she drove the first pitch from South Carolina starter Audrey Broyles well over the wall in right field.

“Ka'ili has been hitting them like that all year in practice. I've been waiting for her to do that in a game, and she finally broke through with one today,” Bulldog head coach Jay Miller said. “It was nice to see the way she adjusted after a bad at-bat her previous time at the plate.”

Broyles fell to 10-8 as she allowed the four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

Kristen Stubblefield, who went 2-for-3 in the opening game, singled and scored in the sixth to put South Carolina on the scoreboard off Bulldog starter Lindsey Dunlap. Laura Mendes added the final run with a solo home run in the seventh.

Dunlap (13-13) went the distance and earned the victory after allowing the pair of runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and a walk. The Hueytown, Ala., native tossed all 14 innings on Saturday, taking the loss in game two after surrendering a pair of runs on five hits with three strikeouts.

“Lindsey pitched great in both games, and we only came up with one win which is frustrating,” Miller said. “We had opportunities to drive in runs in both games, and we only came through once in 14 innings. That's what hurts more than anything. We have to take advantage of those opportunities when we get them. Hopefully we can do that tomorrow and win the series.”

State's offense left put together a seven-hit attack in the day's second game, but the Bulldogs left eight runners on base.

Bramlett paced MSU's seven-hit attack in the setback, collecting a pair of hits in four at-bats. The Cordova, Tenn., native also stole a pair of bases, giving her 45 on the year and moving her just one shy of her single-season school record.

The Maroon and White put a runner on third in each of the first two innings but were unable to capitalize off USC starter Kierstyn White. White tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out four in improving to 8-2 overall. After Kelsey Goodwin closed the fifth, Broyles picked up her third save as she held State to a hit and struck out two over the final two frames.

After Bell was stranded at third in the bottom of the first, the Bulldogs failed to come through with the clutch hit again in the second inning. Ali Bainbridge hit a lead-off single to left, and after stealing second, she took third on a Spain fielder's choice. A strikeout and a ground-out, however, ended the inning.

South Carolina broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth as Adele Voigt drew a one-out walk and scored on a Semento two-out base hit to left.

After leaving another runner in scoring position in the fourth, the Bulldogs put the tying run at third in the fifth inning. Bell hit a one-out single to second base. After taking third on a Smith base hit up the middle, Bell was doubled-up on a hard-hit line drive that USC third baseman Lindsay Walker managed to snag.

USC responded with its final run in the top of the sixth. With one out, Mendes lined a double to the gap in right-center. She moved to third on a Voigt base hit and scored as Stubblefield dropped a base hit into left-center.

The rubber game of the series is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday afternoon at the MSU Softball Field. Admission to all MState home softball games is free, and the game will be broadcast live on WMSV 91.1 FM and online at http://www.wmsv.msstate.edu/.