Bulldogs Finish Off Series Sweep Of Visiting Arkansas, 2-1
May 25, 2016 | Softball
?€˜Dogs Complete Home Schedule With Senior Day Victory
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Courtney Bures hit her record-tying solo home run to break a 1-1 tie in the fourth and rookie Ragan Blake masterminded the Arkansas batting order in four and one-thirds innings of relief to help Mississippi State complete its weekend sweep of the Lady ?€˜Backs with a 2-1 comeback triumph in the series finale Sunday afternoon at the MSU Softball Field.
The win gave the Bulldogs (29-22, 9-13 SEC) its third league series sweep of the season and helped the Maroon and White keep secure its stranglehold on one of three positions still up for grabs in the 2005 SEC Tournament in Gainesville, Fla. Arkansas (15-34, 1-20) fell to 5-10 all-time against MState in one-run games with the Sunday setback.
Bures matched former all-American Kellie Wilkerson's six-year freshman home run record with her 13th of the season to highlight a 2-for-3 hitting line, while junior Callye Williams extended her season-long hitting streak on a 2-for-3 day as well for the Bulldogs. Arkansas leadoff hitter Rachel LeMaster singled twice and scored once on three trips to the plate to lead the Lady ?€˜Backs.
For the second consecutive day, Blake (3-2) whizzed through the Arkansas offensive lineup in a relief role and earned her second-straight win after striking out four and allowing just three hits in a scoreless four and one-thirds innings of action from the circle. Arkansas starter Sarah Topham (1-5) suffered her second loss of the weekend despite allowing just a pair of runs (one earned) and four hits in three and one-thirds innings of work.
I thought we got outstanding pitching this weekend, said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. Ragan came on in tight situations and shut them down the rest of the way out. She did that all weekend after having some tough luck last week. To have her come out and finish all the game in this series and get two wins and a save, you can't ask for much more than that.
Arkansas drew a walk and singled with two outs in the top of the third to put its first scoring chance together, then completed the play with its next at-bat on an Ashley Carter RBI single that gave the Lady ?€˜Backs a 1-0 lead. MSU answered in its half of the frame, however, utilizing a leadoff walk issued to Katie Johnson, as well as a clutch throwing error by Topham, to knot the score back up heading into the fourth.
After a relatively quiet fourth inning for the visitors, Bures smacked Lady ?€˜Back reliever Katy Henry's first offering in the bottom of the inning over the fence in left centerfield to give the Maroon and White a 2-1 lead. With the game in hand, Blake faced just four batters in the fifth, retired the side in order in the sixth, and baffled the Lady ?€˜Backs in four at-bats in the seventh to secure the win.
Mississippi State will return to action on Monday when the Bulldogs begin a eight-game stretch away from home with a 6 p.m. twilight contest at Ole Miss (25-22, 5-14). State will hit the road again on Friday afternoon when it travels to Gainesville, Fla., for a weekend series at 15th-ranked Florida (34-12, 13-5).
MISSISSIPPI STATE 2, ARKANSAS 1
Arkansas (15-34) 001 000 0 - 1 6 1Mississippi State (29-22) 001 100 x - 2 7 0Topham, Henry (4) and Easley. Comeaux, Blake (3) and Geddings. W * Blake (3-2). L * Topham (1-5). Save * None. HR * Bures (MSU).
