Flesher Hurls Bulldogs to Series Win at South Carolina

Sunday, April 18

Columbia, S.C.

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

24-24, 5-15

South Carolina

11-33, 1-21

Mississippi State

South Carolina

Bulldogs Rally to Defeat Florida State 9-8 in 10 Innings

Flesher Hurls Bulldogs to Series Win at South Carolina

April 18, 2010 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Mississippi State's Misty Flesher went the distance in the circle and Chelsea Bramlett went 3-for-3 and scored twice as the Bulldog softball team defeated South Carolina 3-1 Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Beckham Field in Columbia, S.C.

The series win improved the Dawgs to 24-24 overall and 5-15 in SEC play. South Carolina fell to 11-33 overall, 1-21 in the conference.

“We needed to get the series win this weekend. A series win is huge, and if we can get that the rest of the way we can get back in the race and have a shot at the postseason,” Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller said. “You don't like to say it was a must-win game, but it really was to an extent.”

Brittany Bell sparked the Dawgs' offense as she hit her fourth home run of the year. Bramlett's three-hit afternoon was her ninth of the season and her 29th multiple-hit game.

A day after setting the school record for stolen bases in a season, Bramlett had her school-record consecutive steals streak halted at 63. She was, however, successful on her following two attempts to improve to 57-for-58 on the year.

Flesher tossed her seventh complete game of the season to improve to 11-8 on the year. The sophomore from Lone Grove, Okla., allowed a run and six hits with a strikeout and three walks.

“Misty came out and dominated from the first inning. She set the tone for us, and we gave her a few runs to help her out,” Miller said. They got a couple of doubles in the middle innings that could have helped them get back in the game, but she did a nice job of shutting the door.”

Bell gave Flesher a lead she would not relinquish as she opened the second inning with a solo home run that hit the flagpole in left-center field.

MSU added another run in the top of the third as Chelsea Bramlett kicked off the frame with a single. She stole second before scoring on an Ali Bainbridge base hit up the middle.

The Dawgs manufactured another run in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 3-0. Bramlett singled to lead off the inning. After taking second on a Bainbridge sacrifice bunt, she stole third and scored on a fly ball to right field by sophomore Ka'ili Smith.

“Chelsea has been hitting the ball well all year, and she did a great job getting us going,” Miller said. “Ali has been struggling at the plate but drove in a big run for us. Brittany's home run got our offense going, and Ka'ili did a nice job driving in a run.”

South Carolina got its lone run in the fifth on an Evan Childs single to left-center. USC could get no closer as Flesher retired six of the last eight batters she faced to clinch the series win.

The Bulldogs return to the road on Wednesday, traveling to Auburn for a Wednesday twinbill against the Tigers. First pitch for the SEC doubleheader is scheduled for 3 p.m.