Softball Rallies for Road Win on Toughness Sunday

Sunday, April 26

Statesboro, Ga.

11:00 AM

Mississippi State

34-16

Georgia Southern

12-35

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Mississippi State	2	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	7	11	2
Ga. Southern	1	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	5	1

Softball Rallies for Road Win on Toughness Sunday

April 26, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

STATESBORO, Ga. – Sophomore Mackenzie Toler put the team on her back on Toughness Sunday as she belted a line drive home run to lift Mississippi State over Georgia Southern in extra innings.

MSU took the game 7-5 in nine innings on Sunday at Eagle Field.

The Bulldogs improved to 34-16 on the season after sweeping the two-game series against GS, while the Eagles dropped to 12-35.

Sophomores Katie Anne Bailey and Toler helped boost State to the victory going a combined 7-for-9 with five extra-base hits on the day.

Mississippi State has now secured at least 33 victories in four consecutive seasons, all under head coach Vann Stuedeman.

“We battled today and were able to come out on top against a good team on the road” Stuedeman said. “Today was all about toughness and we proved we brought it to the field today. We'll use the week off to keep getting better and be ready to close out conference play next weekend.”

State started off hot, as senior Julia Echols hit a leadoff home run in the first at-bat of the day for the second game in a row. The Bulldogs added another run when Bailey scored on a wild pitch after reaching third on a triple.

A homer from GS in the bottom of the first brought the Eagles within 2-1 after one inning.

Bailey doubled to right center to score Echols from second in the top of the second. Freshman pitcher Cassady Knudsen faced a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the second, but managed to work out of a jam, giving up only one run.

However, the Eagles answered in the bottom half of the inning again, pulling ahead of MSU 5-3 at the end of three innings.

An error by GS with two outs in the top of the fourth allowed junior Loryn Nichols to score from second. Bailey's second triple of the day pushed the tying run across the plate.

In the top of the ninth, Toler sent a blast over the right fielder's head to take a lead that the Bulldogs would not relinquish, as MSU defeated GS, 7-5.

Sophomore ace Alexis Silkwood (24-12) earned the win in relief for the Bulldogs. Silkwood pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out two and walking none. Kierra Camp (6-15) took the loss for GS after pitching 5.1 innings in relief. She gave up two runs, both earned, on five hits.

MSU will have the week off before retaking the road for a three-game weekend set at South Carolina that will begin on Friday, May 1.

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.”