MSU Unable To Overcome Illinois' four-Run First
February 15, 2015 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – On the final day of the February Freezer and capping off five games in four days, Mississippi State dropped a 4-3 decision to Illinois on Sunday at the MSU Softball Field.
State is now 9-1 overall on the season, while Illinois improved to 3-7.
"Mackenzie Toler was awesome today inside the circle and at the plate," MSU coach Vann Stuedeman said. "In the late innings we fought back, but just couldn't get it done. A lot of credit has to be given to the Illinois pitcher, Shelese Arnold. We will get back to work on Tuesday so we can keep getting better and learn from this moving forward."
The final game of the February Freezer saw freshman Holly Ward getting the start in the circle for MSU. The Illini only scored during its first at bat, but those four runs were all it took to defeat the Bulldogs. Ward fell to 3-1 on the season as she suffered the first loss of her young collegiate career.
Sophomore Katie Anne Bailey singled to right field in the third to give MSU some momentum. Senior Julia Echols would lay down a sacrifice bunt, moving Bailey into scoring position. Bailey scored on a groundout from sophomore Caroline Seitz, cutting into the Illinois lead 4-1.
Sophomore Mackenzie Toler entered in the fourth to relieve Ward and was phenomenal in just her second appearance of the season. Toler tossed four shutout innings, while allowing just one hit and striking out a career-best four batters.
Toler would help herself out with a hit to left field for a leadoff single in the sixth. Some small ball from the Bulldogs gave junior Kayla Winkfield the opportunity to score Toler. After six, the Illinois lead stood at 4-2.
The Bulldogs had one last chance to evade defeat in the seventh. Bailey walked to lead off the frame and a single from Julia Echols put runners at the corners. A pitch that bypassed the catcher allowed Bailey to bring the deficit to one, but the gap could close no further before the final out of the seventh inning was recorded.
The Maroon & White will play Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. as its season-opening home stand continues. 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:
- Mackenzie Toler fanned four batters for a new career high in a game. (Previously 2 vs. Northern Kentucky, Feb. 8, 2014)
- Toler had two hits today giving her first multiple-hit game of the season and the fifth of her career.
- Katie Anne Bailey now has 18 hits on the year, one more then she had in all of the 2014 seaosn.
- Bailey went 3-for-3, giving her the fifth career multi-hit game of her career and fourth this season.
- Julia Echols went 2-for-3, giving her the second career multi-hit game and second this season.
- MSU is now 1-1 against Illinois in program history, both games were played this weekend.
