Bulldog Softball Drops Twin Bill to No. 14 LSU

Saturday, April 10

Baton Rouge, La.

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

22-19, 3-10

#14 LSU (DH-1)

30-9, 9-5

Mississippi State

LSU

Bulldog Softball Drops Twin Bill to No. 14 LSU

April 10, 2010 | 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)

BATON ROUGE, La. – Senior Chelsea Bramlett went 5-for-7 at the plate as Mississippi State's softball team dropped both games of Saturday afternoon doubleheader to No. 14 LSU at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La.

The Bulldogs (22-20, 3-11 SEC) fell 2-1 in the opener on a Morgan Russell walk-off base hit in the bottom of the seventh. In the afternoon's second game, State took another early lead before LSU (31-9, 10-5 SEC) rallied behind a four-run fifth inning to claim an 8-3 victory.

Bramlett went 2-for-3 in the opening game before closing the afternoon with a 3-for-4 effort. In Saturday's first game, the Cordova, Tenn., native led off the game with a base hit to right field, and after stealing second, she took third on an Ali Bainbridge sacrifice bunt before scoring on a Ka'ili Smith ground-out to put the Bulldogs up 1-0.

Bramlett swiped two bases Saturday to improve to 50-for-50 on the season and 58-for-58 going back to 2009. She now needs just four steals to match the school single-season school record she set last season.

Sophomore Misty Flesher kept the Tigers off the scoreboard until the bottom of the fifth when the Tigers plated the tying run. Ashley Applegate was hit by a pitch with one out. Pinch-runner Tiffany Shaw stole second and scored as Ashley Langoni lined a two-out base hit up the middle.

Despite the outstanding effort in the circle, Flesher was saddled with the loss to fall to 9-6 on the year. The Lone Grove, Okla., native allowed the pair of runs on six hits with two strikeouts.

“Misty did a nice job out there today,” MSU head coach Jay Miller said. “She starting to get stronger on the mound, and that's a good sign. We're going to need Misty and Lindsey the rest of the way if we are going to compete.”

Bramlett picked up her second hit of the game with two outs in the sixth. Bainbridge followed with a walk, but the Bulldogs were unable to plate the go-ahead run as LSU pitcher Cody Trahan retired Smith to end the inning.

The Tigers got the winning run as Applegate walked and Rachel Mitchell reached on an infield bunt. A sacrifice moved the pair to third and second, respectively, and Russell drove in the winning run as she lined a ground ball through the left side of the infield.

Trahan improved to 9-2 as she held the Dawgs to the first-inning run and two hits while striking out seven.

Just as they did in game one, the Bulldogs struck in the opening inning of game two to take a 1-0 advantage. Consecutive singles by Bramlett, Bainbridge and Smith loaded the bases, and Bramlett scored two batters later as Brittany Bell was hit by a pitch.

“I thought we did a better job at the plate in the second game, but we didn't get the runs to show for it,” Miller said. “We have to tighten up and do a better job tomorrow.”

LSU tied the game in the bottom of the second on a Jessica Mouse sacrifice fly, but State responded in the third as Bainbridge led off the frame with a solo home run, her second of the year, over the fence in left field.

The Tigers' Langoni, however, knotted the game at two runs apiece as she lined a one-out shot out left field the next half inning.

LSU pushed across four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-2 lead. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases, and Anissa Young hit a two-run double down the left-field line that chased Bulldog starter Lindsey Dunlap, who fell to 4-5 as she allowed the six runs on three hits over 4.1 innings.

Stephanie Becker entered the circle and retired Morgan Russell for the second out of the inning. Applegate, however, singled to left field to plate pinch-runner Lindsay Price.

The Dawgs continued fighting and managed to plate a run in the top of the seventh. Smith singled to right field, and after a Jessie Bailey base hit up the middle, scored on a Bell single to center field.

The two teams close the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.