Bulldogs Unable to Contain Hot South Carolina Bats

Friday, May 1

Columbia, S.C.

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

34-17, 9-13

South Carolina

35-18, 9-13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Mississippi State	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	3	9	1
South Carolina	1	0	0	4	0	1	X	6	13	2

Bulldogs Unable to Contain Hot South Carolina Bats

May 01, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. – A four-run fourth was too much for Mississippi State to overcome vs. South Carolina on Friday night.

In the opener of the final Southeastern Conference series of the regular season, the Gamecocks downed the Bulldogs 6-3 at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.

With the win, USC improved to 35-18 overall and 9-13 in SEC play, while State dropped to 34-17 on the season and 9-13 in the league.

USC jumped out front in the game's first frame as a single up the middle scored a runner from second to make it 1-0.

After having stranded multiple base runners through the first couple innings of the game, senior Katie Gentle made sure it wouldn't happen again as she delivered a two-out double off the right field wall to score sophomore Caroline Seitz and tie the game up at one.

In the fourth, USC used five base hits to plate four runs with two outs in the inning as it helped them re-take the lead, this time at 5-1. A solo home run in the sixth added insurance and brought the score to 6-1 in favor of the home team.

Just as they have done countless times this season, the Bulldog bats came alive in the seventh as a trio of hits plated senior Julia Echols to make it a 6-2 ballgame. A walk from sophomore Mackenzie Toler loaded the bases and brought freshman Morgan Bell to the plate with two outs. After Bell was plunked, another run came across as the score came to 6-3, but unfortunately for State the score would draw no closer.

Nickie Blue (18-7) got the complete-game victory for USC as she allowed three runs on nine hits in 7.0 innings of work. Sophomore Alexis Silkwood (24-13) got the start for MSU and suffered the loss as she went 4.0 innings, while having surrendered five runs, one of which was earned, on 10 hits.

Game two of the series will get underway on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET and the game will air on SEC Network+.

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