Softball Off To Best Start Since 2008 With Doubleheader Sweep Sunday

Sunday, February 19

Starkville

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

6-1

SIU-Edwardsville

5-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
SIU-Edwardsville	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Mississippi State	1	0	3	0	0	1	X	5	7	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Miss. Valley State	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	4	0
Mississippi State	0	0	2	0	0	1	X	3	8	1

Softball Off To Best Start Since 2008 With Doubleheader Sweep Sunday

February 20, 2012 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Rain turned into sunshine both in the skies and the win column as Mississippi State (7-1) wrapped up the 2012 Bulldog Round-Robin with wins over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (5-3) and Mississippi Valley State (0-7) Sunday afternoon at the MSU Softball Stadium. The Maroon and White defeated the Cougars by a 5-0 margin to pick up its first shut out of the season, and followed it up with a 3-2 victory over in-state foe MVSU.

"SIU-Edwardsville gave us a run for our money and Mississippi Valley State gave us a great game as well," Stuedeman said. "One of the biggest things we need to improve upon is our base running. We have to improve in that area and clean up everything."

Junior left-handed pitcher Kylie Vry responded from Friday's loss to SIU-E with her third-complete game victory of the season, starting the afternoon with a season-high 10 strikeouts and just one walk. Fellow junior lefty Stephanie Becker followed suit in the second game, tallying her second complete-game win of the 2012 campaign with a season-best seven strikeouts and zero walks.

Senior designated player Brittany Bell continued her torrid start to the year, going 3-for-5 combined Sunday with two RBIs, two runs, a home run, triple and a double. Junior left fielder Shelby Fisher extended her career-long hitting streak to eight games, finishing the day a combined 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs, as well as her first career home run.

In game one, Bell received the green light on a 3-1 count in the bottom of the first, sending a solo shot over the fence in left for an early 1-0 MSU lead. State stretched out its lead with a three-run third, started by sophomore center fielder Jessica Offutt's leadoff single up the middle. The Madison, Ala., native stole second and crossed the dish after senior first baseman Ka'ili Smith also singled to center. Up 2-0, Fisher doubled the lead by launching a 1-1 offering to the parking lot in right for a 4-0 lead. The final run of the first Sunday triumph came on junior right fielder Jessica Cooley scoring on a passed ball in the sixth.

Game two vs. MVSU took a little bit longer for the Bulldogs' offense to get started, but Bell and Fisher were once against the catalysts. Scoreless in the bottom of the third, Fisher started a two-out rally with a single to right-center field. Bell stepped to the plate and roped a double down the left-field line to plate the Arizona native, and was knocked in by a single to left by sophomore first baseman Sam Lenahan.

Both teams went scoreless in the fourth before the Devilettes scored two unearned runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game. With the game hanging in the balance with one down in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Bulldogs drew two-consecutive full-count walks courtesy of junior Erin Nesbit and sophomore Heidi Shape. Senior Brittany Gates stepped to the plate and proceeded to load the bases with an infield bunt single. With the momentum pointing toward the home dugout, Smith stepped into the box and connected on a 1-0 pitch to deep center field. The ball hit the top of the wall above the 220-feet sign, but bounced into the center fielder's glove. Nesbit scored from third on the single to score the winning run, while confusion on the base paths led to an inning-ending double play.

Starkville's team returns to the field next with a daunting task Feb. 24-26 at the 2012 NFCA Leadoff Classic at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla. The Bulldogs will play five games, including games against No. 11 Michigan (Feb. 26, 9 a.m.), No. 20 Louisiana-Lafayette (Feb. 24, 12 p.m.) and No. 23 Georgia Tech (Feb. 25, 2:30 p.m.). Stuedeman's squad will also square off against 2011 NCAA Tournament squad DePaul (Feb. 25, 5 p.m.) and host South Florida (Feb. 24, 5 p.m.). For more information regarding MSU's trip to the Sunshine State, follow the team on Twitter at @MStateSB, and like the team at Facebook.com/MStateSB

Bulldog Round-Robin Notes

Mississippi State (7-1) is off to its best start since 2008 when the team started 11-0 and finished the season 41-22, including a trip to the NCAA Tempe Regional.
Having won seven of her first eight games, first-year head coach Vann Stuedeman is off to the best start by a MSU head coach in school history.
The 5-0 victory over SIU-E was MSU's first shutout since a 3-0 victory over rival Ole Miss in Starkville on April 2, 2011.
The two-hitter by Kylie Vry in the Bulldogs' first game Sunday was the first time the Bulldogs have given up two-or-less hits in a game since a one hitter vs. Alcorn State on March 29, 2011.
Vry's complete game was the 12th of her career, while Becker notched her 10th-career complete game.
Brittany Bell recorded her first career triple with a three-bagger in the first frame vs. Mississippi Valley State.
Shelby Fisher's career-high eight-game hit streak is tied with Ka'ili Smith and Sam Lenahan for the longest streak by an active Bulldog. Fisher is the only Bulldog to record a hit in every game this season.
Junior infielder Chrissie Rovtar is 3-for-4 (.750) this season as a pinch hitter with three RBIs.