Softball Splits On Day One of Diamond 9 Citrus Classic

Friday, February 27

Orlando, Fla.

12:15 PM

Mississippi State

13-3

#13 Minnesota

14-1

Mississippi State

Minnesota

Softball Splits On Day One of Diamond 9 Citrus Classic

February 28, 2015 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: hailstate.com

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Now officially halfway through a six-game road swing, the Mississippi State softball team (14-3) fell to No. 11 Minnesota (14-2) and downed Maryland (11-6), respectively, in its Friday doubleheader at the ESPN Wide World of Sports.

The Bulldogs struggled offensively against strong pitching, while getting strong performances from its own pitching staff over the 14-inning day. Now having played two Big 10 programs Friday, State is now 5-2 in 2015 against the league, having played four of its members.

GAME ONE: No. 11 Minnesota 5, MSU 0
After a quick first inning, the Golden Gophers came out scrapping in the second and used a RBI single and a throwing error to plate two and take a 2-0 advantage.

Leading off the second inning with a single to left field, sophomore Caroline Seitz reached second on a passed ball, but would get no further as the Bulldog bats were unable to record another hit on the day.

Looking to add late-game insurance, Minnesota did just that in the sixth inning by plating three more to set the score at its final count of 5-0.

Sophomore pitcher Sara Groenewegen (8-1) was the star of the day for Minnesota as she struck out 14 Bulldogs in a complete-game shutout.

Sophomore Alexis Silkwood (9-2) went three innings for State, having struck out four and allowed two unearned runs on five hits. Sophomore Mackenzie Toler and freshmen Holly Ward and Cassady Knudsen combined for the other four innings of pitching for MSU.

A total of six errors did in the Bulldogs in game one against a top-15 opponent that would allow no room for error.

GAME TWO: MSU 6, Maryland 2
Having started as a pitching duel, the Terrapins used an illegal pitch and a throwing error with two outs in the top half of the third to break the scoreless draw and go up 1-0.

Maryland would double its lead in the fourth, bringing the score to 2-0 with a leadoff solo home run.

Getting her second start in as many games on the day, Silkwood kept opposing hitters in check. Helping her cause in the home half of the fourth, Silkwood drew a leadoff walk to spark a long inning. Senior Julia Echols roped a double off the center field wall to score pinch runner Madison Arroyo from first, giving the Bulldogs their first run of the day and making it a 2-1 deficit.

A fielder's choice and a walk loaded the bases for senior Ashley Phillips with two outs and in the 11th pitch of her at bat drove a ball to the wall that was reeled in the prevent a grand slam and end the inning.

With two outs in the home half of the fifth, Silkwood ripped the cover off the ball for a solo home run and the first long ball of her career to tie the game at two.

In the sixth, the MSU offense went back to work with assistance from a one-out infield single from junior Kayla Winkfield. A single from Phillips through the right side put runners at the corners and a walk by sophomore Amanda Ivy loaded the bases for sophomore Katie Anne Bailey. Bailey, the team leader in hits, laced a double off the wall in center to clear the bases and put her side ahead 5-2. A single from Silkwood would score Bailey, setting the score at 6-2 and capping the four-run inning.

Silkwood (10-2) went the distance for the complete game while allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits, in addition to striking out eight Terps. Hannah Dewey (3-2) started strong, but after being put in late MSU capitalized to record a total of six hits for five runs in the contest, along with drawing three walks.

State will return to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Saturday for another doubleheader that will begin with No. 23 Notre Dame at 2:30 p.m. CT. Both games can be heard live through HailStatePLUS.

For more information on the 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.”