Bulldogs Sting No. 22 Georgia Tech In Six Innings, 10-2
May 25, 2016 | Softball
State Stretches Win Streak To Eight, Run-Rules Nation's Third Best Team ERA
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State pounded out its 20th double-digit hitting performance of the season and scored four runs in each of the fourth and sixth innings to stretch its winning streak out to a season-long eight games with a 10-2 rout of visiting Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
Senior all-American Iyhia McMichael drove in a run and scored three times on a 2-for-3 showing that paced a quartet of Bulldogs (36-22) with multi-hit days and extended her hitting streak out to 16 games. Kate Jaspers scored twice and drove in a run on a 2-for-2 outing, Blaire Brown added an RBI and scored once on a 2-for-4 day and Meagan O'Nan scored twice on a 2-for-3 outing. Tasha Waugh highlighted a 1-for-3 day at the plate with a two-run homer to pace the Yellow Jackets (41-14).
Albeit Waugh's homer, Melissa Massey (17-8) virtually shut down the Georgia Tech batting order, striking out one and limiting the visitors to just four hits in recording her eighth consecutive victory. Yellow Jacket starter Jessica Sallinger (26-7) came in possessing the nation's third-lowest ERA, but was victimized for 10 runs on 10 hits and four walks. She struck out just one MSU batter, despite having the nation's sixth-best strikeouts per game total as well.
The win gave Mississippi State its longest winning streak of the season, surpassing a seven-game skein that was snapped with a loss to San Diego State on February 13. The win also marked State's 14th win in its last 16 outings. Georgia Tech surrendered a season-high 10 runs on a school record six errors. McMichael's two stolen bases in the game broke her own school record, giving her 37 on the season.
Despite not registering a hit through an inning-plus of play, Mississippi State lit up the scoreboard first, getting a pair of runners on via a walk and a hit by pitch, then putting both into position on a successful double steal attempt. Moments later, Guess put the hosts up when she laced an offering from Sallinger to deep leftfield that scored Tanelda McDonald with the 1-0 lead.
State would add to its advantage in the third, getting McMichael to second on a walk and a stolen base, then scoring the run on a crucial throwing error by Tech shortstop Tara Knudsen. State nearly added to its cushion with the next batter but Yellow Jacket centerfielder Soraya Reddick fielded Brown's single cleanly and threw out Jaspers at home plate attempting to score from the second base bag.
State added to its lead again in the fourth, getting a pair of runners aboard to set the table for McMichael and, after a very scary foul ball for Tech, she delivered with a single up the middle to score Guess from second. Jaspers' bunt single with the next at-bat juiced the bases full and Waterman followed suit with a bloop single to shallow rightfield that brought a pair of runs across and pushed the lead to 5-0.
Blaire Brown finished off the damage in State's next at-bat, firing a shot at second baseman Katie Donovan that was misplayed by the junior, allowing Jaspers to cross easily from third base.
After a relatively quiet first five innings, Georgia Tech finally answered in the sixth, getting a leadoff single from Donovan and, despite recording two straight outs, a two-run homer from Waugh to spoil Massey's shutout. However, State scratched the scoreboard again in the bottom of the frame, getting a leadoff single from O'Nan that preceded a three-base throwing error from the arm of Sallinger. The run sparked a four-run inning for the ODogs, capped off by Callye Williams' RBI single that put the mercy rule into effect.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 10, GEORGIA TECH 2 (6 Innings)
Georgia Tech (41-14) 000 002 - 2 4 6Mississippi State (36-22) 011 404 - 10 10 1Sallinger and Waugh. Massey and Waterman. W ? Massey (17-8). L ? Sallinger (26-7). Save ? None. HR ? GT, Waugh. 2B ? GT, Wood. SF ? Guess.
