Bulldog Softball Hosts Mississippi Valley State Friday In Regular-Season Finale
May 07, 2009 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. ? The Mississippi State softball team closes the regular season Friday, hosting in-state foe Mississippi Valley State in a 3 p.m. doubleheader at the MSU Softball Field.
Admission to all MSU home softball games is free. Bulldog Club members can earn points toward their rewards account by having the Dog Tag scanned beginning 30 minutes prior to first pitch through the first 15 minutes of the game.
State enters the twin bill 26-26 overall. The Bulldogs stayed in the running for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid last weekend, sweeping a pair of games from Ole Miss. The Delta Devilettes (37-12) return to the field for the first time since April 26, when they clinched a sixth-straight Southwestern Athletic Conference championship with a 17-0 mark.
The two teams have met once this season, with Mississippi State claiming a 10-4 win in Itta Bena on Feb. 25. Head coach Jay Miller's squad owns a 12-1 advantage in the series, including wins in the past four meetings. The Maroon and White is 11-0 all-time at home in the series.
Junior Chelsea Bramlett and freshman Ka'ili Smith enter Friday's twin bill looking to build on stellar campaigns that earned them All-SEC honors on Wednesday. Bramlett was named first team catcher by the league coaches after hitting an SEC-best and national third-highest .485.
The Cordova, Tenn., native has stolen a school-record 51 bases and leads the nation with 0.98 steals per game. Against Ole Miss on Saturday, Bramlett became MSU's career leader in stolen bases, claiming her 143rd to move past former Bulldog all-American Iyhia McMichael.
Smith earned second team All-SEC and all-freshman accolades following an outstanding rookie season. The lone freshman to garner All-SEC honors, the Kapolei, Hawaii, native posted the second-highest average on the team (.324) while leading the squad in doubles (10), triples (4) and RBI (32).
State freshman Lindsey Dunlap boasts a 16-14 mark in the circle. The Hueytown, Ala., native has struck-out an MSU freshman-best 150 while surrendering 101 runs (95 earned) over 200 2/3 innings. Senior Kelsey Nurnberg was impressive in her final SEC start, tossing a two-hit shutout to run her record to 10-10. Nurnberg has allowed 65 earned runs and struck out 78 in 116 1/3 innings.
Ta'Niya Wallace and Rashundra Brass have paced the Delta Devilettes at the plate this season. Wallace enters Friday's doubleheader hitting .409 with a team-high five triples. Brass, a .407 hitter, has 16 extra-base hits (including seven home runs) and 35 RBI. Angelia Jones (.321) leads Mississippi Valley State in home runs (9) and RBI (37).
Lisa Jansen (14-6) bolsters the MVSU pitching staff. She has tallied a 2.74 ERA on the year and leads the team with 131 strikeouts.
