Bramlett's Four-Hit Day Leads MSU To 9-3 Win Over Illinois State

Sunday, February 28

Columbus, Ga.

9:00 AM

Mississippi State

9-5

Illinois State

8-5

Mississippi State

Illinois State

Maroon-Out The Tigers As Bulldogs Host No. 20 LSU In Three-Game SEC Softball Series

Bramlett's Four-Hit Day Leads MSU To 9-3 Win Over Illinois State

February 28, 2010 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

• Official Statistics (vs. Illinois State)
• Official Statistics (vs. Illinois State) (PDF)

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Mississippi State senior Chelsea Bramlett went 4-for-4 at the plate and sophomore Ka'ili Smith drove in three runs as the Bulldog softball team wrapped up a 10-game road trip with a 9-3 win over Illinois State Sunday afternoon at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga.

Junior Allie Heon went 2-for-2 at the plate, driving in a run and scoring three times as Mississippi State improved to 9-5 on the season.

The Bulldogs were swinging hot bats right out of the gate, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. Bramlett led off with a single and scored as the next batter, Heon, lined a double down the left-field line. Heon scored two batters later when Ali Bainbridge's bunt was thrown away at first base by Illinois State starter Jordan Birch.

State struck with another two-run burst in the third to push the lead to 4-0. Bramlett led off with a base hit but was called out for leaving first base early. Heon, however, followed with a triple and scored on a Smith ground ball. Smith scored three batters later on a Courtney Nesbit base hit that chased Birch from the circle.

Illinois State (8-5) responded with a run in the bottom of the third as Lauren Keller led off with a walk and came home when Jhavon Hamilton was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The Redbirds had the opportunity to do further damage in the frame, but reliever Stephanie Becker entered the game and a got a double play and ground-out to end the inning.

Becker tossed the final five innings of the game, allowing two unearned runs on five hits while striking out two to earn her second victory of the weekend and improve to 2-1 on the season. Fellow freshman Kylie Vry drew the start and went two innings, giving up a run and three hits.

Birch took the loss for Illinois State to fall to 2-3 on the year. One of three pitchers in the game for the Redbirds, she allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits over 2.2 innings.

"I thought we did a nice job of putting pressure on them offensively every inning," Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller said. "Stephanie did a great job in relief today. I thought she battled well, and that's a good sign for us. It's nice to finish the weekend strong, and I hope we can continue it next week."

State continued the 10-hit assault on Illinois State relievers Megan Warner and Chrissy Burton, adding two runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth.

Bramlett sparked the two-run fourth as she reached on a one-out base hit and stole second. The Cordova, Tenn., native swiped two bases on Sunday, giving her 13-straight steals to open the year.

Heon followed with a walk, and Smith cleared the bases with a base hit to center field that pushed the State lead to 6-1.

After the Redbirds added a run in the fourth, the Dawgs put the game out of reach with the three-run top of the fifth. Junior Courtney Nesbit drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a base hit by Shelby Fisher, who picked up her first collegiate hit in her inaugural start. Erin Nesbit also walked to load the bases, and a Brittany Bell ground ball allowed Courtney Nesbit to come home with State's seventh run of the game.

Bramlett extended the State cushion to 8-2 as she lined an RBI single off Warner that plated Erin Nesbit. Brittany Gates, who returned to the lineup to run for Bell, scored State's final run when Burton was called for an illegal pitch.

Mississippi State returns home to the MSU Softball Field on Wednesday, hosting No. 4 Michigan in a 5 p.m. first pitch. The Dawgs stay home over the weekend, welcoming Troy, Mississippi Valley State and Wright State to campus for the Mar. 5-7 Bulldog Classic. Admission to all home Mississippi State softball games is free.