Nesbit's Base Hit Rallies MState Softball To 5-2 Win Over South Alabama

Wednesday, April 8

Starkville

5:00 PM

Mississippi State

18-20

South Alabama

19-19-1

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

Nesbit's Base Hit Rallies MState Softball To 5-2 Win Over South Alabama

April 08, 2009 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

? Official Statistics
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STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Courtney Nesbit's two-run single sparked a four-run fourth inning and rallied the Mississippi State softball team to a 5-2 win over South Alabama Wednesday afternoon at the MSU Softball Field.

State (18-20) entered the fourth inning trailing 2-1, but the Bulldogs rallied with a four-run fourth. Freshman Ka'ili Smith sparked the inning as she led off with a single to left. The Kapolei, Hawaii, native extended her hit streak to four games as she collected a team-high two hits and drove in a run in the game.

Smith scored the tying run on Sammie Jo Bailey's deep fly ball that at first appeared to go over the head of USA left fielder Julie Morton. Morton appeared to have made the over-the-shoulder catch, but the ball popped out of her glove, allowing Smith to score and tie the game 2-2.

Brittany Bell singled to third two batters later, and Jessie Bailey reached on a fielder's choice that retired pinch-runner Allie Heon at the plate. A wild pitch moved Bell and Jessie Bailey into scoring position, and Nesbit delivered the game-winning hit as she sent a ground ball through the left side of the infield that broke the tie and put State up 4-2.

The Bulldogs added the game's final run as Brittany Gates reached on a fielding error by USA reliever Beth Pilgrim. The Houston, Miss., freshman got caught in a run-down trying to take second, but she managed to get back to the bag while Nesbit came around to score from first.

South Alabama (19-19-1) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a Tara Donaldson first-inning home run, but freshman Lindsey Dunlap shut down the Jaguars the final six frames to pick up the win and move to 10-12 overall. Dunlap surrendered four hits and struck out seven while walking one in the complete-game effort.

“After that first inning, I thought Lindsey really settled down and pitched a good ball game for us the rest of the way,” Bulldog head coach Jay Miller said. “We didn't do a good job offensively, however. We have to hit the ball harder and make some things happen.

“Courtney Nesbit came through with a big hit in the fourth that broke the game open for us. It was a good to see us get some production from the bottom of the batting order,” Miller said. “Hopefully we can come out swinging the bats tomorrow and get our offense back on track.”

South Alabama starter Katy Neal took the loss to fall to 8-4 on the year. She surrendered all five runs over 3 2/3 innings, but none were earned as the Jaguars committed four errors in the contest. Pilgrim gave up a pair of hits over the final 2 1/3 innings.

Dunlap struck out the first two South Alabama hitters she faced in the opening inning. Carolina Mendoza, however, kept the inning alive with a base hit up the middle, and Donaldson staked the Jaguars to the early 2-0 lead with her fourth home run of the season. Mendoza, Donaldson, Corey Race and Danielle Honore collected South Alabama's four hits.

State answered in the home half of the opening frame to cut the lead to 2-1. Junior Chelsea Bramlett, who went 1-for-2 in the contest, walked to lead off the inning. After stealing one of her two bases on the afternoon, Bramlett moved to third on a Smith one-out single and scored as Morton had the ball deflect off her glove.

The pair of stolen bases place Bramlett at 40 for the season, just six behind the school record (46) she set as a freshman in 2007 and matched last season. Now with 132 stolen bases for her career, the Cordova, Tenn., native moved nine shy of the MSU record held by Iyhia McMichael.

The Bulldogs close out the week with a Thursday doubleheader against Jackson State. First pitch for the twin bill at the MSU Softball Field is set for 3 p.m.