Silkwood No-Hitter Highlights Doubleheader Sweep

Wednesday, March 25

Hattiesburg, Miss.

4:00 PM

Mississippi State

23-8

Southern Miss (DH-1)

15-15

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

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Mississippi State	0	1	0	6	2	1	2	12	11	3
Southern Miss	1	0	1	1	2	1	0	6	9	2

Silkwood No-Hitter Highlights Doubleheader Sweep

March 25, 2015 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: hailstate.com

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Closing out a six-game road stretch with a doubleheader, the Mississippi State softball team (24-8, 4-5 SEC) took two from Southern Miss (15-16, 1-8 C-USA) on Wednesday at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.

In game one, sophomore Alexis Silkwood starred with a no-hitter from the circle in a 10-0 win in six innings, with a 3-for-3 offensive day from junior Kayla Winkfield. The second game saw the Bulldogs record their 12th come-from-behind victory of the season, 12-6.

State is now 20-3 vs. non-conference opponents this season and the Bulldogs have won seven-straight against non-Southeastern Conference foes.

“It's always nice to get two road wins,” head coach Vann Stuedeman. “The MSU Hattiesburg Alumni Chapter greeted the bus as we rolled in. It was nice to see so much maroon in the stands. Mackenzie Toler set the tone early with a one out, two run, home run in the top of the first. Alexis Silkwood had a great outing throwing a six-inning no-hitter. We had a ton of offense with 11 hits, 10 runs, seven walks and three hit by pitches in game two. It will be nice to be home this weekend after a 6 game road stretch.”

GAME ONE: MSU 10, USM 0 (6 innings)
The Bulldogs didn't hesitate to draw first blood as sophomore Mackenzie Toler launched a two-run shot deep to right center to score senior Julia Echols and take 2-0 lead in the first.

In the second, State went back to work as Winkfield raked a triple into the gap to score sophomore Katie Anne Bailey and make it 3-0.

Having received the start in the circle along with the batting order, Silkwood got comfortable early on as she retired the first six batters she faced, three via strikeout.

A solo shot from sophomore Amanda Ivy kick started a four-run inning as a double from Winkfield and singles from Silkwood and Echols put the Bulldogs ahead 7-0 heading to the home half of the third.

MSU got additional insurance with a three-run sixth inning to push the score to 10-0. In the home half of the sixth, Silkwood retired the side with ease to clinch the run-rule win and secure her first-career no-hitter.

Silkwood (17-6) went the full six innings and struck out eight, along with having walked three in her no-hit effort. Shelbee Rodgers (4-6) suffered the loss for the Golden Eagles as she allowed seven runs on seven hits in 3.0 innings.

Silkwood's no-hitter was the first of her career and the 16th in the MSU record books. It marked the first no hitter for a MSU pitcher since Stephanie Becker did it on April 14, 2013 vs. Ole Miss.

GAME TWO: MSU 12, USM 6
After having been unable to record a hit or a run in game one, USM did both in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. State followed with a run of its own in the top of the second to knot the score up at one run apiece.

The Golden Eagles tacked on another run in the bottom of the third, but once again the Bulldogs answered. This time MSU used small ball with singles, walks and hit batters to spark a six-run inning on just two hits, setting the score a 7-2 heading to the middle of the fourth.

With junior Loryn Nichols on second base after a walk and a steal, Echols launched a ball over the center field wall to put her side ahead 9-3. USM answered with their own two-run inning to bring the score to 9-5 after five.

Winkfield continued her hot day at the plate in the sixth with a RBI single up the middle to score Silkwood and give State the 10-5 lead.

USM added a run of their own in the sixth, but Ivy laced a two-run bomb off the scoreboard in left center, bringing the score to 12-6 in favor of the visitors.

Freshman Cassady Knudsen entered in relief and found success against opposing hitters in her two innings of work to close out the game at the final score of 12-6 to cap off State sweeping the day.

Freshman Holly Ward (6-1) got the start and the win for the Bulldogs and allowed four earned runs, five total, on seven hits in 5.0 innings pitched, along with two strikeouts. In a losing effort, Jillian Johnson (2-3) lasted 3.0 innings for USM and allowed five runs on five hits, while also having walked four.

State will now return home for a three-game set with No. 2 Florida (30-3, 3-3 SEC) to continue league play. The action will begin on Friday, March 27 at 5:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on SEC Network+ through WatchESPN.com and the “Watch ESPN” app.

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.”