Suicide Squeeze Moves Dawgs to 4-0 This Fall
October 22, 2011 | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Pitching as cold as the autumn air led to a duel Friday night at Shea Brothers Softball Complex, but the Mississippi State Bulldogs prevailed over Jacksonville State with a 3-2 thriller following a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the sixth inning. The victory improved the Bulldogs to a perfect 4-0 this fall.
"It was certainly an exciting ending to a great game" head coach Vann Stuedeman said. "We have a lot of areas we need to improve in, but the main focus right now is our doubleheader tomorrow in front of our hometown fans in Starkville."
Junior Kylie Vry started inside the circle for the Maroon and White, giving up just one hit over three innings while striking out one Gamecock batter. Fellow junior Stephanie Becker replaced her in the fourth and retired the side with three-straight popups.
With zeros settling in on the scoreboard, the Bulldogs finally mustered the first offense for either team in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore Sam Lenahan drew a base on balls to start the frame, but was forced out at second after a grounder to shortstop from sophomore Heidi Shape. After a fly out to straightaway center field by senior Ka'ili Smith, freshman Swayze Hollenhead sent a 1-0 outside fastball screaming over the fence in right for a 2-0 Bulldog lead.
Becker returned in the top of the fifth to retire the side, and the scoring drought continued for both squads. Senior Lindsey Dunlap took over for Becker in the top of the sixth, and gave up a leadoff bunt. Following a liner to Shape at second and a strikeout, another JSU batter reached base on a bunt, leaving runners at the corners. A two-out shot down the line in left tied the game at two.
The bottom of the sixth proved to be the difference, as Lenahan once again was the catalyst with a leadoff double. Pinch runner Jessica Offutt advanced to third on a dribbler back to the pitcher from Shape. With the winning run 60 feet from home, Stuedeman called a suicide squeeze for Smith, and the Hawaiian Hammer executed perfectly to put Offutt across the dish.
After sophomore Shana Sherrod notched an out to start the seventh, Becker returned for the final two outs of the game, capping the night off with a swinging strikeout in the top of the strike zone.
The Dawgs return to Starkville with their only fall home game of the season Saturday at 1 p.m. against Southern Miss at the MSU Softball Stadium. For the Maroon and White, it's their only home game during an eight-month span (May 2011-January 2012), and wraps up the school's first statewide fall tour. Admission to Stuedeman's home coaching debut is free, with the loudest and craziest fan winning two tickets to the Alabama vs. Mississippi State football game on Nov. 12. Other promotional items will be given away, including autographed softballs and free shirts for extra-base hits. The people's professor, Whit Waide, will throw out the first pitch. For those fans wearing the shirt that was given to them at softball's free clinics throughout this month, they will receive an exclusive postgame picnic with the team following the game.
