No. 23 Bulldogs Strike Gold In 13-2 Rout Over Long Beach State
May 25, 2016 | Softball
* Official Statistics (PDF)
LAKEWOOD, Calif. - Mississippi State pounded out its most hits in more than 10 years behind a dominant pitching performance from starter Stephanie Comeaux and the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs finished off a perfect day at the Long Beach Invitational with a 13-2 rout of the host 49ers Saturday afternoon at Mayfair Park in Lakewood, Calif.
Seven players recorded multi-hit days at the plate for the Bulldogs (21-5) who turned in the second-highest single game hit tally and the most since the Maroon and White registered 21 base knocks in a 30-0 rout of Alabama State on March 1, 1997. Katie Cooley drove in a pair of runs and scored three times on a 3-for-4 hitting line and was joined by Nakita Boyce (3-for-4) and Callye Williams (3-for-5) at the top of the hit column.
Courtney Bures (2-for-5), Sammie Jo Bailey (2-for-5), Gina McCloud (2-for-4) and Blair Geddings (2-for-3) also helped lead the scoring barrage for the ?€˜Dogs. Michelle Turner plated a pair of runs on a 1-for-3 effort to pace Long Beach State (11-11).
MSU starter Stephanie Comeaux (11-1) allowed the first three LBSU batters to reach base but retired 18 of the next 20 she faced to nab the win for the Bulldogs. The Pascagoula native finished off her 10th complete game of the campaign with five strikeouts as well. LBSU starter Jennifer Martinez (2-6) saddled the loss for the 49ers after allowing four runs on eight hits and a pair of walks.
MSU also registered the second-most total bases in program history on the shoulders of 11 singles, three doubles, four triples and a home run. Bures became the sixth MSU player to record a pair of triples in one game and the first since former all-American Iyhia McMichael accomplished the feat against Mississippi Valley State on Feb. 21, 2004.
We really needed a game like that, said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. We have been struggling offensively and we really strung some hits together today and got some extra-base hits as well. If we're playing at home, we probably would have had four or five home runs because the fences here are 220 down the lines and 235 in centerfield. We had some big hits today though regardless. It's nice when you can swing the bat like that.
Long Beach got its first two batters of the game aboard via a leadoff single and a five-pitch walk and then used a Jessica Beaver sac hit to move both into scoring position moments later for Turner's two-run single to left field for the quick 2-0 lead.
MState looked to answer in its half of the third by getting its first two batters of the inning on base as well, but Martinez settled down to retire the next three Bulldogs in order via fly outs. The Bulldogs finally got something going in the fourth though, using a one-out triple by Williams, ensuing singles by McCloud and Geddings and a passed ball by LBSU catcher Brooke LeSage to tie things back up.
It would be all State from then on as the Bulldogs sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run, seven-hit fifth inning to put the game out of reach. The Maroon and White would add an insurance run on a Williams RBI double in the sixth, then put the nail in the coffin with a four-run seventh.
Mississippi State will close out its portion of play in the Long Beach Invitational on Sunday with a rematch against fourth-ranked UCLA (22-1) at 12:15 p.m. PDT. Following Sunday's tilt with the nationally ranked Bruins, the Maroon and White will be back in action on Thursday afternoon when it hosts a 2 p.m. doubleheader with Middle Tennessee at the MSU Softball Field. Admission to all 2006 Bulldog softball home games is free.
