Bulldogs Match SEC-High In Hits In 10-3 Loss To Tennessee

Saturday, March 24

Starkville

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

18-14, 0

#12 Tennessee

22-7, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Tennessee	6	0	0	2	0	2	0	10	13	0
Mississippi State	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	10	1

Bulldogs Match SEC-High In Hits In 10-3 Loss To Tennessee

March 24, 2012 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State more than doubled its Friday hit total against Tennessee ace Ellen Renfroe, but it was not enough as the Bulldogs fell to the Lady Vols, 10-3, Saturday afternoon in front of a capacity crowd at the MSU Softball Stadium. The Maroon and White dropped to 18-14 on the 2012 campaign (3-9 SEC), while the visitors from Rocky Top improved to 22-7 on the year (6-4 SEC).

"A lot of our players are feeling better in the box and are getting more barrels," head coach Vann Stuedeman said. "We appreciate our fans packing the entire stadium today and want them to know we are going to get those wins for them. We are real close."

State tallied 10 hits, tying for its most in conference play. The starting 6-9 hitters in the lineup went a combined 6-for-11 (.545), led by outfielders Jessica Cooley and Brittany Gates. Cooley went 2-for-3 with two sharp singles, while Gates tied her season high with two base knocks. Sophomore third baseman Sam Lenahan drove in a team-high two runs with an RBI single, and catcher Ka'ili Smith continued her impressive senior campaign at the top of the order with a hit, RBI, walk and run scored.

Tennessee scattered all 13 hits and 10 runs off MSU junior left-hander Kylie Vry, who took her fifth loss on the season (5-5). The southpaw struck out two and walked three and was replaced by senior lefty Lindsey Dunlap, who threw 1.1 hitless innings to close out the game for the home team. After giving up three hits in last night's victory, UT's Renfroe (17-1) gave up seven hits in the final 6.0 innings of work against MSU, winning her second decision in as many games.

Six of Tennessee's 10 runs came in the top half of the first frame, when the Lady Vols batted around on six hits. The Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the inning, which started with a leadoff walk by Smith. Sophomore center fielder Jessica Offutt copied her teammate with another free pass on a full count. In the second pitch to Lenahan, Offutt and Smith stole second and third, respectively. With two in scoring position, Lenahan ripped a single up the middle to knock in a pair and cut the Lady Vols' lead to 6-2.

Down four, the home team slashed it to a 6-3 deficit in the bottom of the second. Redshirt sophomore shortstop Erin Nesbit led off with a stand-up double to the gap in left field. Tennessee starting pitcher Ivy Renfroe was replaced by her sister Ellen, who promptly gave up an infield single to Gates. With two on and no outs, Smith launched a double deep to the wall in right center, allowing Nesbit to tap the dish and Gates to sprint to third. The younger Renfroe settled down to get out of the jam, sandwiching two strikeouts around a Lenahan lineout to first.

Increasing its lead by two more, the team from Knoxville plated two additional runs in the top of the fourth. Following a Vry strikeout to UT center fielder Tory Lewis, three-hole hitter Kat Dotson earned a base on balls and raced to second on a passed ball. Dotson came full circle on an RBI single by cleanup hitter Madison Shipman, who ran to second herself on the throwing attempt to catch her teammate at home. The Bulldogs cleared the bases when Smith caught Shipman napping at second, as she gunned it to sophomore second baseman Heidi Shape in a throw down. Shipman took off for third, but Shape threw it to her childhood best friend Lenahan for the tag out. With the bases empty, Vry surrendered a solo home run to Lauren Gibson, who made the score 8-3 in favor of the Orange and White.

The final two runs of the game came in the top of the sixth, when Dotson again reached first following an out by Lewis. She advanced to second on a groundout by Shipman and again traded places with Gibson, who sent a shot to the wall in left center for an RBI double. New UT left fielder Holly Baker produced the final run of Saturday with an RBI single up the middle to score Dotson.

Tennessee and MSU wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m., where Ward-Stewart Elementary assistant principal Gabrielle Mills will throw out the first pitch. All elementary schools are invited to attend the afternoon contest, which will be available via video and audio streaming at HailStateTV (www.hailstate.com/hstvlive). Fans can earn prizes with the popular Bulldog Bingo and Movie Trivia events, while also earning a Vanntastic t-shirt with every extra-base hit. For more information regarding MSU softball, follow the team on Twitter at @MStateSB and like the team at Facebook.com/MStateSB.