Softball Beats No. 20/17 Georgia Tech, Drops Decision To DePaul

Saturday, February 25

Clearwater, Fla.

2:30 PM

Mississippi State

8-3

#20 Georgia Tech

7-7

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Mississippi State	2	0	0	0	0	2	1	5	7	3
Georgia Tech	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	3	4	1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
DePaul	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	10	1
Mississippi State	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	2

Softball Earns Historic Victory With Win Against No. 7 Georgia

Softball Beats No. 20/17 Georgia Tech, Drops Decision To DePaul

February 26, 2012 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: hailstate.com

CLEARWATER, Fla. - On the second day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic, the Mississippi State softball team (8-4) split a pair of games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago. The Bulldogs downed No. 20/17 Georgia Tech (7-7) Saturday afternoon, 5-3, before dropping a narrow 3-2 decision to DePaul (10-4) under the lights at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex.

"It was a very positive day with a lot of inexpensive experience being gained," head coach Vann Stuedeman said. "The win over Georgia Tech was a solid confidence builder going forward as we inch toward conference play."

Against Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs defeated a Top-20 team at a neutral site for the first time in over four years. The win was the first for MSU at the 16th annual Leadoff Classic.

The offense was led by sophomore second baseman Heidi Shape, who went 2-for-3 with a season-high three RBIs. Fellow sophomore Sam Lenahan also tallied two hits to go along with two runs and a run batted in. Senior right fielder Brittany Gates, senior designated player Brittany Bell and junior left fielder Jessica Cooley also collected hits.

Junior Kylie Vry went the distance in the circle for the Maroon and White, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits. The left-hander struck out four and walked two, improving to 4-1 on the season. Georgia Tech's Hope Rush fell to 3-5 on the year after surrendering five runs (four earned) on seven hits, walking four and striking out one.

Mississippi State wasted no time getting on the board, starting a two-out rally in the top of the first. With two down, Bell was hit by a pitch and advanced to third when Lenahan sliced a ball to right field for a single. With runners on the corners, junior first baseman Shelby Fisher walked to load the bases for Shape. The sophomore from Georgia singled past the pitcher, knocking in Bell. Lenahan was then caught in a run down between third and home on the play, but eventually scored on an error by the Yellow Jackets' third baseman.

Georgia Tech put its first run across the plate with two outs in the bottom of the third inning. Tech shortstop Ashley Thomas singled through the middle and stole second on the first pitch of teammate Kate Kuzma's at-bat. Kuzma then knocked a chopper up the middle into center, scoring Thomas and cutting the deficit to one.

Much like the first frame, Bell was the first to get on base in the top of the sixth with a walk after a 10-second violation by the Ramblin' Wreck pitcher. Freshman Ashley Phillips pinch ran for Bell, then trotted over to second after a single by Lenahan through the left side of the infield. Fisher then took one for the team, sacrificing Phillips and Lenahan over to second and third on a bunt. Up next was Shape, who recorded her second and third RBIs of the afternoon with a stand-up double to the wall in left center.

The Yellow Jackets rebounded in the bottom of the sixth, starting exactly like the bottom of the third did. Thomas singled through the middle, stole second and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kuzma. Thomas scored for the second time in the contest on a groundout to the shortstop by Rush.

State stung Tech one last time in the top of the final frame thanks to a suicide squeeze. After senior catcher Ka'ili Smith got on base with a walk, Bell hit a Texas Leaguer to right to put runners on first and third with one out. Lenahan then executed the squeeze, scoring Smith from third for MSU's last run. Tech scored its final run in the seventh as well, but it was not enough for the team from Atlanta.

Against DePaul, Cooley went 1-for-3 with a RBI, while Smith finished 1-for-3 with a run scored. Also going 1-for-3 were Gates, Lenahan and Fisher. Shape scored MSU's other run.

Left-handed junior Stephanie Becker started in the circle for the Bulldogs, allowing two runs (both earned) on four hits in one inning of work. Senior Lindsey Dunlap was the hard-luck losing pitcher, dropping to 1-1 on the season after her best performance of the 2012 campaign. The left-hander allowed one unearned run on three hits in 3.1 innings, striking out a season-high four batters. Vry finished the game with 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and walking one.

"I was real pleased with Lindsey Dunlap's outing in the second game," Stuedeman said. While we didn't get the timely hits we've been desperately seeking this weekend, the law of averages says those will come in time."

DePaul plated two runs in the top of the first before Starkville's team had a chance to bat. Down 2-0, Smith led off the bottom of the first with a double to the gap in left field. Batting in the two spot for the first time in 2012, Gates recorded yet another infield single on the season, beating out an errant throw by the Blue Demons' third baseman. The throwing error by DePaul allowed Smith to score, cutting the deficit in half at 2-1.

After Dunlap retired the side in order in the top of the second, the Bulldogs plated another run in the bottom half of the frame. Shape was hit by a pitch with one out and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior shortstop Erin Nesbit. Shape came full circle when Jessica Cooley singled deep to left center, tying the game at two apiece.

Both teams played scoreless softball in the third and fourth innings, before DePaul scored the game-winning run in the fifth. Third baseman Bree Brown struck out swinging in the dirt courtesy of Dunlap, but advanced to first on a dropped third strike throw to first that Fisher dropped. Brown moved to second on a one-out single to right by designated player Lynsey Ciezki. Vry replaced Dunlap and walked the first batter she faced, loading the bases. The game-winning run came when Ali Warren reached on a fielding error by the MSU infield, causing Brown to cross home plate. Vry eliminated the posing threat of more runs with a rare inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.

SATURDAY NOTES

Mississippi State defeated a Top-20 team at a neutral site for the first time since Feb. 8, 2008, when the Maroon and White defeated No. 20 Oregon, 3-0, in Cathedral City, Calif.
The Bulldogs improved to 9-2 all-time against Georgia Tech, winning their third-straight game against the Yellow Jackets for the first time since April 19, 2001 - April 18, 2002. The game marked the first neutral-site contest between the two schools.
The meeting between MSU and DePaul was the first between the two schools.
Brittany Bell was hit for the 35th time in her career in the matinee contest vs. Georgia Tech, extending the school record she set yesterday vs. South Florida.
Bell and Ka'ili Smith have reached base in all 12 games this season.
Of Mississippi State's 48 RBIs this season, 26 have come with two outs.
The Bulldogs improved their batting average to .364 (8-for-22) with the bases loaded, including a SEC-best 18 RBIs.
After pitching just 12 complete games in 2011, the MSU pitching staff has already acquired seven complete games this year.
Heidi Shape recorded three or more RBIs in a game for the fifth time in her career.