Bulldogs Blaze Past UAB, 8-3
May 25, 2016 | Softball
Courney Bures drove in a trio of runs on her 10th home run of the season, while sophomore Blair Geddings crossed the plate once on a 2-for-3 hitting line, to lead the Bulldogs (17-8). Freshman Lindsay Hunley drew a season high three walks and scored once on a 0-for-1 plate tally. Dusti Roberts led the hitting column for UAB (11-15), driving in one on a 2-for-3 night at the plate with Sara Christophel adding a late solo homer on a 1-for-3 hitting line.
Comeaux (6-1) won her third consecutive decision in historic fashion, scattering five hits and walking just one over her first complete game of the campaign. The Pascagoula native struck out the sides in two separate innings and allowed just two hits over the final six innings of play. Jennifer Nelson (3-4) saddled the loss for UAB, allowing a pair of runs on seven walks in two and one-thirds innings of action.
Comeaux's task was the most strikeouts by an individual since Autumn Anderson fanned 13 in a win over Samford on April 21, 1998 and helped the Bulldogs (17-8) secure the first true road victory of their current campaign. The MSU win was aided by a season high 11 walks * the most since State got the same amount of free passes on Feb. 14, 2003, against Mississippi Valley State at home.
Steph came out and threw a great game for us tonight, said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. I was a little disappointed with the way we swung the bats though. We left a lot of people on, especially in those first two innings. We made some mistakes tonight, but I was pleased with the end result.
UAB used a trio of hits and a MSU mental miscue in the first to take a 2-0 lead into the second. The Blazers got leadoff hitter Lindsay Stanley to third base with two outs in the frame and got a gift from the Bulldogs when leftfielder Michelle Kinney misplayed a routine fly ball that allowed Stanley to cross and UAB to extend the inning. The Green and Gold got a double from Roberts in its next at-bat to surprise MSU early.
State drew three consecutive one-out walks in the third to chase Nelson from the circle, but State used a clutch single and a pair of Blazer errors to score eight runs in the frame, capped off by a three-run homer by Bures and an RBI single from Callye Williams. UAB cut the lead to five with a solo home run from Christophel in the sixth, but Comeaux shut down the Blazers the rest of the way out to provide the final.
Mississippi State will open up Southeastern Conference play this weekend when the Maroon and White welcome 13th-ranked Georgia (14-7) to the MSU Softball Field for a three-game weekend series. The squads will open up their set with a 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon doubleheader and close out the series on Sunday with a single game also slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
