No. 22 Auburn Barely Sneaks By Mississippi State, 3-2
May 25, 2016 | Softball
Official Game Statistics
Tigers Get Two-Run Homer In Second To Snap Three-Game Skid
AUBURN, Ala. -- Nationally ranked Auburn got a two-run homer from Martha Phillips with one out in the bottom of the second and held back a handful of Mississippi State rallies, including one in the top of the seventh, to take game one of its series with the Bulldogs and snap a three-game SEC losing skid.
Blaire Brown highlighted a 2-for-2 showing at the plate with her fourth double of the campaign, and Iyhia McMichael extended her hit streak out to eight games with a solo homer with two outs in the seventh to showcase the offense for the Bulldogs (22-19, 4-12 SEC), while Kate Jaspers drove in a run on a 1-for-3 night at the plate. Phillips' homer marked her third of the season for the Tigers (27-7, 9-4), who also got an insurance run on Kristina McCain's RBI knock in the sixth.
Although taking the loss, MSU staff ace Melissa Massey (9-8) produced a gem of an outing, striking out four and surrendering just a trio of hits to the Tigers in the setback. Tiger ace Kristen Keyes (14-6) snapped a personal two-game losing streak with the victory as she scattered six hits and struck out eight Bulldogs.
"We played a great ballgame tonight," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "The defense was solid for us and we got some hits, but we took some called third strikes. But, overall, we did a good job. Melissa pitched one of the best games she has pitched all year. The wins and losses will take care of themselves if we play like that all the time."
Auburn put the first real scoring threat in the game together in its half of the second, getting McCain aboard on a one-out walk, then finishing off the scoring play when Phillips blasted a 1-1 offering from Massey over the foul pole in left field for the 2-0 lead. State scratched the scoreboard for the first time in the next frame, using a leadoff single and a one-out walk to put a runner into scoring position for Jaspers who laced a single to short centerfield to plate Hayle Guess from second base and cut the Maroon deficit in half.
Mississippi State would threaten with runners in scoring position with a pair of outs in each of the next three innings, but were retired each time to nix the threats. Auburn got a one-out triple from Sara Dean in the sixth, and plated the insurance run two batters later when McCain legged out an infield single that came within a step of going the other way and thwarting the scoring chance.
McMichael's monster shot with two outs in the seventh cut the Tiger lead to a lone run, but Keyes induced Jaspers to line out to leftfield to end the game.
Mississippi State and the nationally ranked Tigers will close out their series Saturday when the squads clash again in a doubleheader at Jane B. Moore Field on the campus of Auburn University. First pitch of the afternoon twinbill has been set for 2 p.m. Live game action can be followed via a live statistics link at the official Internet home of Mississippi State University athletics, www.MStateAthletics.com.
AUBURN 3, MISSISSIPPI STATE 2
Mississippi State 001 000 0 - 2 6 0 Auburn 020 000 x - 3 3 1Massey and Waterman. Keyes and Dean. W - Keyes (14-6). L - Massey (9-8). Save - None. HR - AU, Phillips. MSU, McMichael. 3B - AU, Dean. 2B - MSU, Brown.
