Mississippi State
21-18, 3-9
Kentucky
22-15, 7-9
Smith's Walk-Off Home Run Lifts Bulldogs to 1-0 Win Over Kentucky
April 03, 2010 | Softball
• Official Statistics
• Official Statistics (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Ka'ili Smith hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and sophomore Lindsey Dunlap tossed a four-hit shutout as the Mississippi State softball team defeated Kentucky 1-0 Saturday afternoon in the final game of a three-game series at the MSU Softball Field.
Both Dunlap and UK starter Chanda Bell engaged in a pitcher's duel through the first six innings. Smith led off the bottom of the seventh and lined the second pitch she saw from Bell over the fence in left field for her ninth home run of the season, a new MSU sophomore record.
“Coach (Karen) Johns told me to find a good pitch,” Smith said. “Their pitcher had been getting me on the rise ball, and I just found a pitch on the outside corner and took it. That was my first walk-off home run, and it was a good feeling.”
Smith's walk-off home run improved the Bulldogs to 21-18 overall and 3-9 in SEC play. UK fell to 22-15 and 7-9 in league action.
“This is the best pitching effort we've had since the first weekend out. Lindsey's getting healthy and that's a good sign. Misty threw well on Friday, and we're going to need that kind of pitching if we are going to compete the rest of the way,” Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller said. “We kept fighting and had better at-bats as the game went on although we didn't' get the results we wanted. Ka'ili had a big stick, and that's a great way to win the ball game.”
Dunlap went the distance for the second time in as many games, improving to 4-4 on the year after allowing four hits and striking out a season-high nine.
“I felt more comfortable out there today,” Dunlap said. “It was a big weight off my shoulders to know that I'm back to myself out there.”
Neither team could capitalize on opportunities earlier in the game until Smith's round-tripper off Bell, who fell to 12-8 after surrendering the one run on two hits.
State's three-time all-American Chelsea Bramlett opened the Dawgs' first at-bat with a base hit. The Cordova, Tenn., native stole second and third but was stranded there after a pair of strikeouts and a pop-out to second base. Bramlett wrapped up the weekend 47-for-47 on the bases. Going back to last season, she has stolen 55-straight bases.
In the bottom of the fourth Kentucky got a lead-off walk from Megan Yocke. A sacrifice and Meagan Aull double moved her to third, but Dunlap preserved the scoreless tie as she got an infield pop-out and a strikeout to end the threat.
The Hueytown, Ala., native silenced another scoring attempt by Kentucky in the top of the seventh. With one out, Kara Dill doubled. Two batters later, the Bulldogs chose to intentionally walk UK leadoff hitter Molly Johnson. The move paid off as Dunlap got Natalie Smith to ground-out to second base to end the inning.
The Bulldogs close the non-conference portion of their schedule on Wednesday, traveling to Ridgeland, Miss., to meet Mississippi Valley State in the M&F Bank Fastpitch Classic. First pitch at Freedom Ridge Park is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dunlap, Lindsey (4-4)
L: Chanda Bell (12-8)
Batting:
2B: Meagan Aull 1 ; Kara Dill 1
SH: Brittany Cervantes 1
Base Running:
CS: Molly Johnson 1
HBP: Rachel Riley 1
Batting:
HR: Smith, Ka'ili 1
RBI: Smith, Ka'ili 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith, Ka'ili 1
SB: Bramlett, Chelsea 2
