Blake, Bulldogs Slice Through Streaking Salukis, 2-0
May 25, 2016 | Softball
* Official Statistics
* Official Statistics (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State plated an unearned run in the first inning and added an insurance score in the fifth to rally behind a dominating pitching performance from sophomore Ragan Blake and upend unbeaten Southern Illinois with a 2-0 blanking of the Salukis Friday evening in the Bulldog Classic.
Centerfielder Hayle Guess drove in a run and crossed the plate once on a 2-for-3 night that capped off a phenomenal hitting day for the redshirt sophomore. Courtney Bures recorded an RBI and Michelle Kinney scored a run on 1-for-3 performances that helped the Maroon and White (7-0) get off to its best start in two seasons. Four different players recorded hits for the Salukis (5-1) in the loss.
Blake (4-0) turned in a career-best nine strikeouts and scattered four hits over her fourth consecutive complete game and her third shutout of the campaign to get the win for MSU. Staff ace Cassidy Scoggins (2-1), who was 20-5 with a 0.94 ERA last season, allowed six MSU hits and surrendered her first two runs of the campaign in saddling the loss for Southern Illinois.
"Ragan pitched a wonderful game. It was probably the best one I have ever seen her throw," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "She threw some good games last week down in Tampa (at the Best Western Invitational), but she was in control tonight from the first inning until the end. Even in the last inning when she gave up a few hits, she still had her good stuff and everything was working."
MSU got Guess aboard with the first at-bat of the game by virtue of a fielding error by SIU third baseman Katie Louis, then moved the runner into position for Bures' RBI single that gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead heading into the second. After allowing a two-out single in the bottom of the inning, Blake retired the next 14 Salukis in order and MSU extended its lead out to a pair on a RBI single by Guess in the top of the fifth.
Southern Illinois put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh, however, getting a pair of runners aboard via one-out singles, then nearly scratched the board when Louis unleashed on a 2-and-2 offering from Blake that was hauled in by leftfielder Nakita Boyce at the warning track.
Mississippi State will return to action on Saturday afternoon when the Bulldogs resume their portion of round-robin tournament action with a 2 p.m. doubleheader. MState will battle Tennessee State (1-3) in the first game, before engaging in a rematch with East Tennessee State (1-3) at approximately 4 p.m. Admission to all 2006 MSU Softball home games is free of charge.
