Bulldogs Blank Arkansas 2-0 to Clinch Series Win
March 19, 2011 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Three Mississippi State pitchers combined for a one-hit shutout, and senior Courtney Nesbit went 3-for-3 and drove in both runs as the Bulldog softball team defeated Arkansas 2-0 Saturday afternoon to clinch the Southeastern Conference series at the MSU Softball Field.
Nesbit, an Acworth, Ga., native, tallied her fourth and fifth doubles of the season as the Bulldogs improved to 14-14 overall and 4-2 in SEC play.
A day after snapping a seven-game skid to Arkansas, Saturday's win gave Mississippi State (14-14, 4-2 SEC) its first series win against the Razorbacks since 2007.
The Bulldogs go for the series sweep at 1 p.m. Sunday in a game that will be televised live on Fox Sports Net. Audio of the game will also be streamed live on www.mstateathletics.com/m2mlive.
"This was a really important series for our ballclub. We are trying to get into the SEC Tournament and have a chance for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, so this was a key series for our team," Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller said. "We got the series win, and now we have a chance to build on it tomorrow."
Junior Misty Flesher (5-3) earned the win as she went 4.2 innings in relief of starter Stephanie Becker. The Lone Grove, Okla., native struck out five and walked three while not allowing a Razorback hit.
Friday's winner Kylie Vry ended the game with a strikeout to notch her second save of the season.
"I felt really strong today. It was the first time I faced the Arkansas lineup, and Kylie and Stephanie did a great job, so I just tried to add on to what they had already done," Flesher said.
"Stephanie struggled with the illegal pitches the first couple of innings, but Misty came in and just shut them down. She did a wonderful job not allowing a hit," Miller said. "She got a little tired with the heat in the sixth inning, but Kylie came in and shut them down. It was a great team effort from our pitching staff today."
After both teams stranded runners in the first two innings, the Bulldogs gave Flesher and Vry all the runs they would need in the bottom of the third.
After Ali Bainbridge was hit by a pitch to open the inning, Heidi Shape thwarted a double play attempt on a sharply-hit ground ball to short. Junior Ka'ili Smith followed her 3-for-3, three-RBI outing on Friday with a base hit that moved Shape to second.
Nesbit then cleared the bases as she laced a double to the gap in left-center that chased Arkansas starter Hope McLemore.
"I was just trying to stay back and drive in some runs for our pitchers so we could get the series win," Nesbit said. "We really needed this series win, and hopefully we can carry this over to tomorrow and get the series sweep."
McLemore fell to 4-7 as she was touched for two runs and three hits in 2.1 innings of work.
Arkansas threatened to tie the game with two outs in the top of the sixth. Flesher hit Stephanie Brewer with a pitch and then walked Jessica Robison to put the tying run on base. Vry kept the shutout intact as she struck out Jayme Gee to end the threat before retiring the Razorbacks in order in the seventh.
Mississippi State 2, Arkansas 0 (Mar 19, 2011 at Starkville, Miss.)
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Arkansas............ 000 000 0 - 0 1 0 (9-19, 0-7 SEC)
Mississippi State... 002 000 X - 2 6 0 (14-14, 4-2 SEC)
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Pitchers: Arkansas - Hope McLemore; Chelsea Cohen(3) and Jayme Gee. Mississippi State -
Stephanie Becker; Misty Flesher(2); Kylie Vry(6) and Sam Lenahan.
Win-Misty Flesher(5-3) Save-Kylie Vry(2) Loss-Hope McLemore(4-7) T-1:46 A-223
Weather: Sunny, 79 degrees
S. Becker faced 1 batter in the 2nd.
