Saturday, February 13
Starkville
1:00 PM
Mississippi State
1-0
4
vs
0
UAB
1-1
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Mississippi State
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
4
8
1
UAB
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
State Softball Sweeps Opening Day of Bulldog Round-Robin
February 13, 2010 | Softball
• Official Statistics (vs. UAB)
• Official Statistics (vs. UAB) (PDF)
• Official Statistics (vs. Stephen F. Austin)
• Official Statistics (vs. Stephen F. Austin) (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State freshman Erin Nesbit went 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in four runs in her collegiate debut as the Bulldog softball team swept UAB and Stephen F. Austin 4-0 and 8-0, respectively, in the season-opening Bulldog Round-Robin in Starkville.
The Acworth, Ga., native, went 3-for-3 and drove in all four runs as State (2-0) opened the season with the victory over the Blazers. Mississippi State posted two shutouts to open the season for the first time in program history.
She put MSU on the scoreboard in the top of the second, driving a two-run triple to the gap in right-center that plated her sister, Courtney, and senior Jessie Bailey. The elder Nesbit opened the door for her sister's big hit as she reached first when her fly ball was dropped by the UAB left fielder. Bailey followed with a one-out double to the wall in center field before Erin Nesbit brought the pair home.
“We have been working hard on seeing and reacting,” Erin Nesbit said. “I was trying to get the best at-bat I could and it all worked out.”
Those two runs were all redshirt sophomore Misty Flesher needed. The Lone Grove, Okla., native put together a strong outing in her return to the circle, limiting the Blazers to one hit over five innings. Flesher, who was limited by injury to just four appearances in 2009, struck out three and held UAB hitless for 3.2 innings in her first outing in almost a year.
Bailey and Erin Nesbit, however, added two more runs. Bailey, who went 3-for-5 on the afternoon with an RBI and a pair of runs, delivered a one-out single. Nesbit followed with her first career home run, a two-run, line drive over the wall in center field, to cap State's scoring.
Freshman Stephanie Becker closed out UAB, tossing a perfect final two innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Junior Jessie Spain went 3-for-4, including two doubles, against her hometown Blazers.
“I thought the pitchers did a great job today. We ran ourselves out of some scoring opportunities in the first game, but we came back and scored some runs in the first inning of the second game,” head coach Jay Miller said. “Overall, it was a good performance for the first two games of the season. We got good pitching, some timely hitting and played good defense.
“Erin was our offense in the first game. It was a great start for her, and she will be a great player for us down the road,” Miller said.
Miller's squad wasted no time in game two, scoring five runs in the first en route to the 8-0 win in five innings.
Junior Brittany Bell sparked the MSU bats, going 2-for-3 and matching a career-high three RBI while scoring two more runs. Sophomore Ka'ili Smith, a 2009 second-team all-SEC selection, accounted for four of State's runs, scoring twice and driving in two more.
The five-run burst propelled sophomore Lindsey Dunlap to her first win of the season. The Hueytown, Ala., native allowed just two hits while striking out six over four innings. Freshman Kylie Vry tossed a perfect final frame, striking out two.
Senior three-time all-American Chelsea Bramlett sparked the Dawgs with a lead-off infield hit in the bottom of the first. Bramlett stole second and Spain walked. The pair then swiped second and third before Bell lined a base hit to center field that put State up 2-0.
Bell moved to third on a wild pitch, and following an Ali Bainbridge walk and stolen base, Smith put a base hit through the right side that cleared the bases and extended the lead to 4-0. Smith took second on the throw home and crossed the plate two batters later Bailey's single up the middle.
Mississippi State added another run in the third as Smith reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a wild pitch.
The Dawgs clinched the five-inning win with a two-run fourth. Bramlett drew a walk, her third of the afternoon, to open the inning. After stealing second, she scored on Bell's one-out base hit to left. Bell stole second and scored the clinching run on a Smith ground ball to short and the following throw that was dropped by the Stephen F. Austin first baseman.
Mississippi State closes out the season-opening Bulldog Round-Robin on Sunday, taking on Stephen F. Austin at 1 p.m. and UAB at 3 p.m. Admission to all MSU home softball games is free.
• Official Statistics (vs. UAB) (PDF)
• Official Statistics (vs. Stephen F. Austin)
• Official Statistics (vs. Stephen F. Austin) (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State freshman Erin Nesbit went 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in four runs in her collegiate debut as the Bulldog softball team swept UAB and Stephen F. Austin 4-0 and 8-0, respectively, in the season-opening Bulldog Round-Robin in Starkville.
The Acworth, Ga., native, went 3-for-3 and drove in all four runs as State (2-0) opened the season with the victory over the Blazers. Mississippi State posted two shutouts to open the season for the first time in program history.
She put MSU on the scoreboard in the top of the second, driving a two-run triple to the gap in right-center that plated her sister, Courtney, and senior Jessie Bailey. The elder Nesbit opened the door for her sister's big hit as she reached first when her fly ball was dropped by the UAB left fielder. Bailey followed with a one-out double to the wall in center field before Erin Nesbit brought the pair home.
“We have been working hard on seeing and reacting,” Erin Nesbit said. “I was trying to get the best at-bat I could and it all worked out.”
Those two runs were all redshirt sophomore Misty Flesher needed. The Lone Grove, Okla., native put together a strong outing in her return to the circle, limiting the Blazers to one hit over five innings. Flesher, who was limited by injury to just four appearances in 2009, struck out three and held UAB hitless for 3.2 innings in her first outing in almost a year.
Bailey and Erin Nesbit, however, added two more runs. Bailey, who went 3-for-5 on the afternoon with an RBI and a pair of runs, delivered a one-out single. Nesbit followed with her first career home run, a two-run, line drive over the wall in center field, to cap State's scoring.
Freshman Stephanie Becker closed out UAB, tossing a perfect final two innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Junior Jessie Spain went 3-for-4, including two doubles, against her hometown Blazers.
“I thought the pitchers did a great job today. We ran ourselves out of some scoring opportunities in the first game, but we came back and scored some runs in the first inning of the second game,” head coach Jay Miller said. “Overall, it was a good performance for the first two games of the season. We got good pitching, some timely hitting and played good defense.
“Erin was our offense in the first game. It was a great start for her, and she will be a great player for us down the road,” Miller said.
Miller's squad wasted no time in game two, scoring five runs in the first en route to the 8-0 win in five innings.
Junior Brittany Bell sparked the MSU bats, going 2-for-3 and matching a career-high three RBI while scoring two more runs. Sophomore Ka'ili Smith, a 2009 second-team all-SEC selection, accounted for four of State's runs, scoring twice and driving in two more.
The five-run burst propelled sophomore Lindsey Dunlap to her first win of the season. The Hueytown, Ala., native allowed just two hits while striking out six over four innings. Freshman Kylie Vry tossed a perfect final frame, striking out two.
Senior three-time all-American Chelsea Bramlett sparked the Dawgs with a lead-off infield hit in the bottom of the first. Bramlett stole second and Spain walked. The pair then swiped second and third before Bell lined a base hit to center field that put State up 2-0.
Bell moved to third on a wild pitch, and following an Ali Bainbridge walk and stolen base, Smith put a base hit through the right side that cleared the bases and extended the lead to 4-0. Smith took second on the throw home and crossed the plate two batters later Bailey's single up the middle.
Mississippi State added another run in the third as Smith reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a wild pitch.
The Dawgs clinched the five-inning win with a two-run fourth. Bramlett drew a walk, her third of the afternoon, to open the inning. After stealing second, she scored on Bell's one-out base hit to left. Bell stole second and scored the clinching run on a Smith ground ball to short and the following throw that was dropped by the Stephen F. Austin first baseman.
Mississippi State closes out the season-opening Bulldog Round-Robin on Sunday, taking on Stephen F. Austin at 1 p.m. and UAB at 3 p.m. Admission to all MSU home softball games is free.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Flesher, Misty (1-0)
L: Lauren Webster (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Spain, Jessie 2 ; Bailey, Jessie 1
3B: Nesbit, Erin 1
HR: Nesbit, Erin 1
RBI: Nesbit, Erin 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Nesbit, Courtney 1 ; Bailey, Jessie 2 ; Nesbit, Erin 1
Base Running:
HBP: Kate Armstrong 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
4
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
2B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
OF/C
/ SoftballINF/OF
/ Softball
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SOFTBALL | Postgame Press Conference vs. South Carolina (Game 3)
Monday, March 30
SOFTBALL | Highlights vs. South Carolina (Game 3)
Monday, March 30
SOFTBALL | Highlights vs. South Carolina (Game 2)
Sunday, March 29