Mississippi State
20-20, 8-7
#22 Auburn
31-9, 10-6
Bulldogs Fall 5-3 To No. 22 Auburn, Go For Series Win Sunday
April 09, 2011 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Senior Ali Bainbridge collected two hits and drove in a run as the Mississippi State softball team fell 5-3 to No. 22 Auburn Saturday afternoon during Super Bulldog Weekend presented by Region's Bank festivities at the MSU Softball Field.
Playing in front of a crowd of 785, the fifth-largest in MSU Softball Field history, the Bulldogs rallied from a 3-0 deficit to knot the game in the bottom of the third, but Auburn got a run in the fourth and another in the top of the seventh to force the rubber game Sunday at 1 p.m.
Mississippi State (20-20, 8-7 SEC) will be hosting its annual Strikeout Cancer game Sunday. Fans are encouraged to wear pink as the Dawgs go for the series win against the Tigers (31-9, 10-6 SEC).
Auburn took the early 1-0 lead on an Amber Harrison single. The Tigers extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of the third on a single by Lauren Guzman and a bunt single from Kyndall White.
Just as they did Friday night in clinching Jay Miller's 1,000th-career win, the Dawgs rallied with the tying runs in the bottom of the third. Birmingham native Jessica Cooley led off the inning with a single, and Bainbridge, a Vestavia Hills, Ala., native, brought her home with her team-best fourth triple of the season.
Bainbridge cut the Auburn lead to 3-2 when she touched home following Ka'ili Smith's ground ball through the left side of the infield.
Pinch-running for Shelby Fisher after she walked earlier in the inning, freshman Jessica Offutt came home with the tying run on a Courtney Nesbit ground ball. Guzman fielded the ball at short and tried to get Offutt at third, but the ball deflected off the MSU runner, allowing her to come home with the tying run.
"I thought we had some good opportunities in the third and seventh that we let slip away. We had the right people up with runners in scoring position, which is what we wanted," Miller said. "I thought we threw away a few at-bats, but we battled really well and kept fighting. We gave ourselves a chance to win the ballgame.
State was unable to complete the rally, however, as a Kelsey Cartwright sacrifice fly off Bulldog starter Kylie Vry put Auburn ahead 4-3.
Vry, Friday night's winner, fell to 8-9 as she was touched for four runs on nine hits over four innings. Misty Flesher tossed the final three frames, allowing Auburn's final run in the seventh and three hits.
Angel Bunner went the distance for the Tigers. She improved to 11-3 this season as she allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out five.
Auburn 5, Mississippi
State 3 (Apr 09, 2011 at Starkville, Miss.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Auburn.............. 102 100 1 - 5 12 2 (31-9, 10-6 SEC)
Mississippi State... 003 000 0 - 3 6 1 (20-20, 8-7 SEC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Auburn - Angel Bunner; Lauren Schmalz(7) and Caitlin Schultze. Mississippi State -
Kylie Vry; Misty Flesher(5) and Sam Lenahan.
Win-Angel Bunner(11-3) Save-Lauren Schmalz(2) Loss-Kylie Vry(8-9) T-2:07 A-785
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Angel Bunner (11-3)
L: Vry, Kylie (8-9)
S: Lauren Schmalz (2)
Batting:
2B: Morgan Estell 1 ; Amber Harrison 1
RBI: Kelsey Cartwright 1 ; Amber Harrison 1 ; Lauren Guzman 1 ; Hilary Mavromat 1 ; Kyndall White 1
SH: Kelsey Cartwright 1 ; Lauren Guzman 1 ; Katie Colton 1
SF: Kelsey Cartwright 1 ; Hilary Mavromat 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Morgan Estell 1 ; Kelsey Cartwright 1 ; Amber Harrison 1 ; Lauren Guzman 1 ; Caitlin Stangl 1
Batting:
3B: Bainbridge, Ali 1
RBI: Bainbridge, Ali 1 ; Smith, Ka'ili 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bainbridge, Ali 1 ; Offutt, Jessica 1 ; Cooley, Jessica 1
CS: Bainbridge, Ali 1
HBP: Bainbridge, Ali 1
