Bulldogs Rout Mississippi In Series Opener, 8-0
May 25, 2016 | Softball
Official Game Statistics
McMichael Scores Twice To Take Over First In Career, Season Runs Scored
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State erupted for 12 hits and scored multi runs in three different innings to rally behind staff ace Melissa Massey's four-hit shutout as the Bulldogs snapped a two-game series skid to Mississippi with a 8-0 victory in five innings Tuesday afternoon at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
Jennifer Waterman and Hayle Guess each drove in a pair of runs on 2-for-3 hitting tallies, with Lindsay Nelson (2-for-3) and Kate Jaspers (2-for-3) each driving in a run on multi-hit days as well. Senior all-American Iyhia McMichael scored twice on a 1-for-2 tally that stretched her hitting streak out to nine games. Four different players recorded hits for the visiting Rebels (13-32, 6-16).
Massey (13-8) won her fourth-straight outing after striking out a pair and walking three en route to her team-leading fifth shutout of the season. Mississippi State blistered a pair of Rebel pitchers with six hits apiece, with staff ace Mary Jane Callahan (9-15) saddling the loss after allowing five earned runs before being chased with one out in the third. Tara Willit finished out the game by allowing three earned runs of her own, but got the no decision.
McMichael's runs in the contest pushed her season total to a school record 65, while moving her past former MSU all-American Kellie Wilkerson atop the career list with her 199th and 200th scores of her tenure.
Mississippi State had the Rebels seeing stars quickly, taking a 1-0 lead with its first three at-bats of the contest. McMichael got aboard via a leadoff walk, then advanced to third on a bunt single by Jaspers after catching Mississippi asleep in the infield. Waterman's RBI single brought the first run of the game across and moved Jaspers to third before Blaire Brown finished off the damage on a RBI groundout to second baseman Jenny Cox.
The Bulldogs would score three more times in the third courtesy of an RBI double by Waterman and run-scoring singles by Nelson and Callye Williams to take a 5-0 lead into the fourth. A RBI single by Jaspers in the next frame, coupled with a two-run single by Guess in the fifth helped State invoke the eight-run mercy rule.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 8, MISSISSIPPI 0 (5 Innings)
Mississippi (13-32) 000 00 - 0 4 0 Mississippi State (29-22) 203 12 - 8 12 0
Callahan and Warner. Massey and Waterman. W - Massey (13-8). L - Callahan (9-15). Save - None. 2B - MSU, Waterman.
