Seitz Sinks LA Tech, MSU Improves To 6-0
February 13, 2015 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – On the first day of the 2015 February Freezer, Mississippi State softball defeated Louisiana Tech 6-4 on Thursday, bringing their overall mark to 6-0 at the MSU Softball Field.
Freshman Holly Ward picked up where she left off last Sunday at the Bulldog Kickoff Classic as she started the game only allowing one batter to reach base in the first two innings.
Sophomore Mackenzie Toler was walked in the second to give MSU a base runner and freshman Carmen Carter came in to pinch run. Freshman Morgan Bell hit a chopper down the left field line that resulted in a stand up double. Freshman Calyn Adams came up big with a two-run double to left center, putting the Bulldogs up 2-0 in the second.
Despite pressure from LA Tech in the third, Ward fought back to strand runners on second and third with back-to-back strikeouts.
Sophomore Katie Anne Bailey got things rolling in the third with her third triple of the season followed by senior Erika Gaul's first career home run to extend the lead to 4-0 through three.
Sophomore Alexis Silkwood was inserted in the fifth to relieve Ward with the bases loaded and no outs. Silkwood was able to get MSU out of the jam with the score tied 4-4.
In the home half of the fifth, junior Loryn Nichols reached base on an infield single. Sophomore Caroline Seitz proved to be clutch after sending one over the scoreboard to put the Bulldogs back on top 6-4.
LA Tech once again applied pressure, this time in the sixth with runners on second and third, but with Silkwood's strong arm and the MSU defense, no runners crossed home. Silkwood would end the game with the win after retiring all three batters via strikeout in the top of the seventh to improve MSU to a 6-0 record.
State will return to the diamond on Friday, Feb. 13 for the February Freezer against Illinois. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. Admission to all games at the MSU Softball Stadium is free and open to the public.
For more information on MSU softball program, follow "HailStateSB" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also find all-access coverage of the Bulldogs on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
Postgame Notes:
- Erika Gaul hit her first career homerun tonight in the bottom of the third.
- Caroline Seitz hit her 11th career homerun and her fourth career two-run homerun in the bottom of the fifth.
- Katie Anne Bailey hit her fourth career triple in the bottom of the third. It was Bailey's third of the season.
- Alexis Silkwood appeared in her second relief appearance of the season. Silkwood is now has 17 innings pitched with 31 strikeouts.
- The Bulldogs as a team have now scored six or more runs in five of their six games this season.
- Bulldog pitching has seven or more strikeouts in four of the team's six games.
- MSU has now beaten La Tech nine straight times dating back to 1997.
- State is starting the season 6-0 for the second straight season and fifth time in program history.
