Bulldogs Blank 13th-Ranked Washington, 3-0
May 25, 2016 | Softball
* Official Statistics (PDF)
WACO, Texas - Mississippi State plated a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back as the Bulldogs used a four-hit shutout by righthander Stephanie Comeaux to upend 13th-ranked Washington on a 3-0 decision Friday afternoon at the Compass Bank Invitational in Waco, Texas.
Nakita Boyce scored a run to highlight a 3-for-4 hitting line, with Hayle Guess (1-for-2, R) and Callye Williams (0-for-2) both providing clutch RBI to lead MState (16-0) who recorded its first win over a Pac-10 squad since knocking off top-ranked Arizona on Feb. 9, 2002. Four different players recorded base knocks for Washington (12-4) whose four losses have all been at the hands of SEC squads. The Huskies also fell to the Bulldogs for the first time in the three-game-old series between the two sides.
Comeaux (8-0) struck out six and scattered four hits, exhibiting five innings of near-flawless pitching in picking up the complete game shutout * her third of the campaign. Huskies starter Caitlin Noble picked up the tough-luck loss for UW, offsetting a seven-strikeout appearance by allowing three runs on seven MSU hits and a pair of walks.
Steph pitched a great game, we got some runs early and we played a phenomenal defensive game, said an elated Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller after the game. I thought we sort of sat on the two-run lead, but we gave ourselves some opportunities late in the game. It was just a great win for us.
Mississippi State used a walk, single and a bean ball to load the bases with its first three at-bats of the game and scored a run a short time later on a fielding miscue by Huskies shortstop Nicole Moojen. After Noble finally put an out on the board by striking out Sammie Jo Bailey, State cushioned its lead out to a pair on a sac fly from Williams that gave the Maroon and White a 2-0 lead heading into the second.
The Bulldogs threatened to cushion their lead even more in the fifth when Hayle Guess drew a two-out walk and Boyce followed with a single to give MState a runner in scoring position. Noble composed herself with a couple of deep breaths, however, and escaped the inning by freezing Bures on strike three.
The Huskies finally got something going in the sixth, getting consecutive singles from Marnie Koziol and Dominique Lastrapes to lead off the inning and then put the runners into position on a sac hit from Ashley Charters. Indubitably, Comeaux got Sarah Hyatt on a grounder to third that produced a successful play at the plate and induced Dena Tyson to fly out to shortstop to exit the frame.
MSU answered Washington's rally with one of its own in the seventh, utilizing a leadoff double from Geddings, a groundout from Michelle Kinney and a short chopper from Guess to bring an insurance run across. With two runners still aboard, Courtney Bures bunted for her first hit of the game to juice the bases, but Noble struck out Katie Cooley and got Bailey on a foul fly to left field to evade any more damage.
After allowing a two-out single in the first inning of play, Comeaux retired the next 12 batters she faced with all of the putouts being recorded by infielders.
Mississippi State will take on tournament host and 18th-ranked Baylor (11-5) in the nightcap of day one action of the Compass Bank Invitational. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. at BU's Getterman Stadium.
