Nesbit's Two Home Runs Power Bulldogs to Series Sweep of Auburn

Wednesday, April 21

Auburn, Ala.

3:00 PM

Mississippi State

25-24, 6-15

Auburn (DH-1)

23-21, 6-15

Mississippi State

Auburn

Nesbit's Two Home Runs Power Bulldogs to Series Sweep of Auburn

April 21, 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)

AUBURN, Ala. – Erin Nesbit hit the game winning home runs in both games as Mississippi State swept Auburn by scores of 3-2 and 2-1 Wednesday evening at Jane B. Moore Field.

Nesbit hit the game-clinching home run in the sixth inning of the opener before breaking a 1-1 tie in game two with a fifth-inning drive, her sixth of the season, over the fence in right-center. The freshman from Acworth, Ga., also added a double in the series opener en route to a 3-for-5, two-RBI afternoon.

“Erin was our offense today,” Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller said. “She had been struggling a little bit, especially in SEC play. Two games like the ones she had tonight will help her continue to grow as a hitter.”

Senior All-American Chelsea Bramlett continued her stellar season, going 5-for-7, including a pair of triples, as Mississippi State swept the Tigers for the first time since the 2001 season.

Misty Flesher and Lindsey Dunlap went the distance in both games as the Dawgs improved to 26-24 overall and 7-15 in SEC play. The pair of wins moved the Maroon and White one game ahead of Auburn (23-22, 6-16 SEC) for the eighth position in the race to the SEC Tournament.

“This was the first time we've had back-to-back great games from our pitchers. It's nice we finally got one, and hopefully that's a good sign heading into our final two weekends,” Miller said. “If they can pitch like that, we have an opportunity to beat both Florida and Alabama. You want your pitchers to give you an opportunity to win ballgames.

“Auburn was the team we had to get ahead of if we are going to make the SEC Tournament,” Miller said. “We did that with these two wins, and now we have to get a couple more wins over the next two weekends. If we can do that, we have a chance at making both the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.”

Flesher picked up her third-straight decision in the afternoon's opening game to improve to 12-8 on the season. The Lone Grove, Okla., native went the distance for the second-consecutive game, allowing two runs and seven hits while striking out a pair.

Bramlett opened the game with a triple over the drawn-in infield, but State was unable to capitalize as she was tagged out at home on an Ali Bainbridge ground ball to second base.

State, however, did manage to plate the leadoff runner in the second inning. Courtney Nesbit bounced a single through the right side of the infield. Pinch-runner Allie Heon moved to second on a walk to Erin Nesbit. After a pair of infield flyouts, Bramlett hit a bouncer up the middle that put the Dawgs up 1-0 and chased AU starter Lauren Schmalz from the circle.

Auburn pushed the tying run across in the bottom of the second as Elizabeth Eisterhold hit a one-out single and came around to score on a base hit from Kelley Smiley, who matched Krista Clyde with a pair of base hits in the game.

State regained the lead in the top of the fourth off AU reliever Anna Thompson. Erin Nesbit hit a one-out double, and two batters later, Birmingham, Ala., native Jessie Spain gave the Dawgs a 2-1 advantage with a double to the left-field corner.

Auburn knotted the game at two runs apiece in the bottom of the fifth when Lauren Guzman singled home Katie Colton. Amber Harrison reached on an error, but State answered in the sixth as Erin Nesbit lined her first home run of the day to left field to give MSU a 3-2 lead.

Thompson took the loss to fall to 13-8 on the year. She allowed two runs and three hits over 3.2 innings.

Dunlap picked up the win in the nightcap as she allowed a run and four hits while striking out five.

State staked her to a quick lead with a run in the opening inning. Ka'ili Smith bounced a two-out single up the middle. Brittany Bell followed with a double off the wall in right-center, and Smith took third before coming home when the shortstop Guzman mishandled the throw to the infield.

Dunlap retired seven of the first nine Auburn hitters she faced before Kyndall White hit a towering home run to left field with one out in the third that tied the game 1-1.

Mississippi State, however, answered with the decisive blow in the fifth on Nesbit's second round-tripper of the day, a leadoff shot that just missed the flag pole in right-center.

A pair of walks in the home half of the fifth inning put the lead run on base for the Tigers, but the Dawgs ended the threat as Smith made a leaping snag at the left-field wall on a Guzman fly ball.

Angel Bunner, AU's starter in game two, retired MSU in order to give the Tigers a chance to tie or win in the bottom of the seventh. After retiring the first two hitters of the inning, Dunlap surrendered a pair of walks before Guzman reached on a ground ball to third that was mishandled by State's Jessie Bailey. Eisterhold hit a towering shot to center field that appeared to have a chance to leave the yard, but Brittany Gates corralled it to clinch the sweep for MSU.

Bunner fell to 6-8 as she allowed the two runs (one earned) on six hits. She struck out three in the complete-game effort.

The Bulldogs return to action May 1-2, hosting No. 4 Florida in a three-game league series at the MSU Softball Field.