MSU Falls To UAB In Tuesday Tussle

Tuesday, March 29

Starkville

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

20-13

UAB

13-19

UAB

Mississippi State

MSU Falls To UAB In Tuesday Tussle

March 29, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. – A three-run first inning was too much for the Mississippi State softball team (20-13, 1-5 SEC) to overcome in its midweek non-conference contest with UAB (13-19, 4-2 C-USA) at Nusz Park.

MSU fell 3-2 to the Blazers and dropped to 19-8 on the season in non-conference matchups.

Junior Katie Anne Bailey led the Bulldog offense, reaching base in all three at-bats and bringing home MSU's first run. With her ninth multi-hit game, Bailey extended her team-leading counts in both hits (36) and RBI (21).

“We had the tying run up to bat in the bottom of the seventh and that's where you want to be,” head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “You want to be in a position to tie it or win it in the bottom of the seventh and that's where we were.”

MSU gifted UAB with an opportunity in the top of the first as a pair of walks allowed the visitors to load the bases with two outs. A wild pitch advanced the Blazer baserunners and pushed across the first run of the game. A double to the wall from the next batter cleared the bases to put UAB on top 3-0.

A Bulldog error and a pair of hits loaded the bases for the Blazers the very next inning forcing an MSU pitching change that brought freshman Cori Cooper to the circle in relief of junior starter Alexis Silkwood. An unassisted double play from senior shortstop Kayla Winkfield ended the scoring threat and the inning for Cooper.

Hits in the first three innings gave State baserunners, but the Blazer defense kept the Bulldogs from getting anything more than baserunners. A walk and a hit gave MSU two runners with no outs in the third, but the UAB defense allowed nothing more.

Cooper began to hit her stride early on into her outing as she had a stretch of eight-straight retired batters that spanned from the second inning through the fifth.

In the home half of the fifth, another walk and base hit had State threatening. With two outs and runners at the corners, Bailey drove a single to right center, scoring sophomore Carmen Carter from third for MSU's first run of the game. A wild pitch to the next batter plated Winkfield from third to make it a one-run game after five.

Freshman Regan Green entered in relief of Cooper in the sixth and found success with a pair of strikeouts.

With the opportunity to tie and take the lead in the final two innings, the State offense was unable to do such as Blazer pitching and defense ensured their lead would remain intact until the final out was recorded.

UAB starter Megan Smith (3-7) picked up the win as she allowed both Bulldog runs on six hits on 4.2 innings. Smith also walked two and struck out two.

Silkwood (0-4) suffered the loss as she allowed all three UAB runs in the first inning on one hit and two walks. The East Alton, Ill. native only lasted 1.1 innings and faced 10 batters in her outing.

State will continue its five-game homestand with a three-game Southeastern Conference series at home against in-state rival Ole Miss that will open Saturday, April 2 at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

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.”