State Rallies In Sixth, But No. 22 Pacific Slips By In 5-4 Nailbiter
May 25, 2016 | Softball
Official Game Statistics
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- Mississippi State rallied from a 4-1 deficit with three unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning, but 22nd-ranked Pacific answered with consecutive doubles in the bottom of the frame to slip by the Maroon and White by a 5-4 count Saturday morning at the Palm Springs Classic.
The Bulldogs (10-5) got multi-hit tallies from both Keri McFarling (2-for-4) and Blair Geddings (2-for-2), but struggled with untimely errors for the second consecutive day, this time allowing a pair of unearned runs in the setback. Lauren Sandelin highlighted a 2-for-2 day at the plate with a solo homer in the second for Pacific (8-2).
Fresh off a quality outing in a win over Cal State-Fullerton on Friday evening at the tournament, MSU starter Melissa Massey allowed three runs on four hits in two innings of work, before being relieved in the third by Stephanie Comeaux. Comeaux (3-1) took her first loss of the season despite striking out four and allowing just one earned run in three innings of action from the circle. Natalie King (6-0) was awarded the decision for the Tigers, despite allowing four runs and seven hits.
"We had tons of opportunities, but we didn't do the little things right that you need to do to win a ball game," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "Ultimately, that is what led to the loss. I thought we did a good job of coming back and giving ourselves opportunities, but we fell short and that was disappointing."
Pacific lit up the centerfield scoreboard first, using a one-out double by Michelle Anunciation and a two-out RBI single by Jennifer Curtier to take a 1-0 lead into the second. State knotted the score back up in the next frame on a RBI single by Lindsay Hunley, but the Tigers grabbed the lead back with two runs in the bottom of the frame, including Sandelin's solo job down to left field.
MSU got a leadoff single from Geddings in the third, and nearly took the lead back, but Gina Carbonatto robbed Bures of a sure-homer when she snowconed a shot that nearly cleared the fence in straightaway centerfield.
Ashlie D'Errico's sac fly in the fifth would stretch the Tiger lead out to three, but State used high-pressure offense and heads-up baserunning to tack three runs on the board and tie the game back up in the sixth. However, Pacific got a leadoff double from Crystal Presson in the bottom of the sixth and Sandelin drove in her second run of the game on the ensuing at-bat with a double down the left field line.
