Clutch Throwing Error Helps Bulldogs Upend USF, 2-0
May 25, 2016 | Softball
* Official Statistics
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TAMPA, Fla. - Sarah Watson's errant throw with the bases loaded in the top of the fourth inning brought a pair of runs across the plate for Mississippi State and righthander Ragan Blake hurled her second straight shutout to help the Bulldogs upend host USF, 2-0, to claim the top seed in the championship round of the Best Western Invitational Saturday evening.
Michelle Kinney tallied a 2-for-2 showing with a walk and a run scored, while Courtney Bures turned in a 2-for-4 hitting line to pace the Maroon and White at the plate. Callye Williams also walked and scored in the decisive fourth inning. Krista Holle turned in a 2-for-3 day at the plate to pace the Bulls (1-2) offense.
Blake (2-0), who dominated Jacksonville on Friday night for her first career shutout, scattered four hits and struck out seven against USF in her second consecutive complete game to earn yet another blanking. USF starter Kasey Cash (0-1) took the tough luck loss for USF, allowing just a pair of unearned runs in three and two-thirds innings of work to compliment a trio of strikeouts.
"Especially at this level, one play can definitely change a game," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "Sammie Jo ended up coming up big for us by just sliding hard into home and breaking up the double play. I thought Michelle Kinney gave us some big at-bats throughout the game and Ragan just went out there and dominated for the second-straight day."
State loaded the bases with the first four at-bats in the fourth and nearly took the lead on Kinney's one-out single, but USF caught a lucky break on a baserunning error by the Bulldogs to keep the visitors off the board. Blair Geddings' soft roller to shortstop Christie Chapman moments later was successfully relayed to Watson to get the force out at home, but Sammie Jo Bailey broke up the double play attempt with a hard slide into home that caused Watson's untimely throw over first base into the rightfield foul area.
The Bulls came close to scratching the scoreboard in the first inning, loading the bases to set the table for a Chapman at-bat with two outs, but Blake induced a soft flyout to Bures at shortstop to escape the threat. The Bulls threatened again in the third, using its short game to put a runner into scoring position with one out, but Blake got Tiffanie Stewart to flyout to Hayle Guess in centerfield, before striking out cleanup hitter Jo Jo Medina.
