Mississippi State
22-25, 8-12
#6 Tennessee
40-6, 16-4
Bulldogs Drop 2-0 Heartbreaker To No. 6 Tennessee In Series Opener
April 21, 2011 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Mississippi State sophomore Stephanie Becker had a stellar showing in the circle, but a two-run home run by Melissa Davin in the bottom of the fifth proved to be the difference as the sixth-ranked Lady Vols escaped with a 2-0 win in the opening game of a three-game Southeastern Conference softball series at Lee Stadium in Knoxville.
The loss dropped the Dawgs to 22-25 overall and 8-12 in league play. Tennessee improved to 40-6 and 16-4 in the conference.
Becker (6-6) tossed 5.1 innings and allowed the two runs and nine hits while striking out five. Junior Misty Flesher retired the final two Lady Vols.
Courtney Nesbit, Chelsea Raines, Brittany Gates and Briana Bell had Mississippi State's four hits off UT starter Ellen Renfroe. Renfroe improved to 22-2 as she struck out nine in the complete-game shutout.
"I thought Stephanie threw a great game and gave us a chance to win, which is what you want from the circle. The bottom of the order did a good job, but the top and middle parts that was count on struggled a little bit," Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller said. "Renfroe pitched a great game for them. We had opportunities against her with the right people up, but we just didn't get it done. It came down to one pitch, and they hit it out. It was a well-played game on both sides, and once again, it was a great performance by Stephanie."
After the Bulldogs failed to put any runs across in the first, Raven Chavanne and Kelly Grieve reached for Tennessee in the home half of the inning. Becker avoided any further trouble, however, registering three-straight strikeouts to end the inning.
An inning-ending double play by Heidi Shape in the bottom of the second kept the game scoreless, and the Bulldogs opened the top of the third with back-to-back base hits by Chelsea Raines and Brittany Gates.
Briana Bell sacrificed the pair, but the Dawgs were unable to plate the game's first run as Raines was retired on an Ali Bainbridge ground ball and Jessica Cooley flew out to right field.
Becker retired the Lady Vols in order in the third and fourth before Tennessee struck with the game's only two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Madison Shipman opened the inning with a base hit, and Melissa Davin followed with a two-run home run over the wall in right field.
Bell opened the top of the sixth with a base hit up the middle. She moved to second on a wild pitch three batters later, but she was left on base as Chavanne made a running grab of a Ka'ili Smith fly ball to deep left field.
Tennessee threatened to extend the lead in the bottom of the sixth, but Flesher managed to work out of the jam.
State's Nesbit singled to open the seventh. Pinch-runner Jessica Offutt took second on a wild pitch, but she was unable to advance any further as Renfroe got a strikeout and a groundout to end the game.
Game two of the series is set
for 5 p.m. Friday and will be broadcast live on SportSouth. A free, live audio
stream will be available at www.mstateathletics.com/m2mlive.
Tennessee 2, Mississippi State 0 (Apr 21, 2011 at Knoxville, Tenn.)
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Mississippi State... 000 000 0 - 0 4 0 (22-25, 8-12 SEC)
Tennessee........... 000 020 X - 2 9 0 (40-6, 16-4 SEC)
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Pitchers: Mississippi State - Stephanie Becker; Misty Flesher(6) and Sam Lenahan. Tennessee -
Ellen Renfroe and Ashley Andrews.
Win-Ellen Renfroe(22-2) Loss-Stephanie Becker(6-6) T-1:48 A-1039
HR TN - Melissa Davin (3).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ellen Renfroe (22-2)
L: Becker, Stephanie (6-6)
Batting:
SH: Bell, Briana 1
Batting:
HR: Melissa Davin 1
RBI: Melissa Davin 2
SH: Shelby Burchell 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Madison Shipman 1 ; Melissa Davin 1
SB: Raven Chavanne 1
CS: Jessica Spigner 1
