State Plates 13 Unanswered Runs To Finish Off Sweep Of Blue Raiders, 13-1
May 25, 2016 | Softball
* Official Statistics (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State batted around to key a five-run third inning, then sent 12 batters to the plate in an eight-run fourth to help the 22nd-ranked Bulldogs finish off a doubleheader sweep of visiting Middle Tennessee with an abbreviated 13-1 victory over the Blue Raiders in the nightcap on Tuesday at the MSU Softball Field.
Eleven different Bulldogs (29-8) recorded at least one hit in the outing, with Hayle Guess and Sammie Jo Bailey both turning in 2-for-3 hitting lines. Guess, Nakita Boyce (1-for-2) and Katie Cooley (1-for-2) all scored twice in the game, with Hickerson, Cooley, Bailey and Michelle Kinney tallying a pair of RBI. Katie Mielke scored the only run of the game for MTSU (8-24-1) on a 1-for-2 night at the plate.
Bulldog righthander Ragan Blake (15-3) allowed just two hits and an unearned run over her team-best 15th complete game of the season to pick up the win for the Maroon and White. MTSU starter Ashley Katinas (1-4), who picked up a victory over the ?€˜Dogs last season, took the loss for the Blue Raiders this time after allowing five earned runs on six hits in just three and one-thirds innings of pitching action.
I thought we did a great job at the plate, said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. The kids had some quality at-bats. They drove the ball gap to gap and that's the way we need to hit if we're going to be successful. I feel good with where we are at heading into Hattiesburg on Thursday.
Middle Tennessee got a leadoff double from Mielke to begin the game and the Blue Raiders finished off the scoring chance two batters later when Melissa Weiland's sharp hit to right field was bobbled by Cooley, allowing Mielke to come around to score easily from second base.
After a quiet second inning, State went to work in the third, following a one-out error that allowed with three consecutive singles, including Hickerson's two-run knock - that gave the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead. Cooley's third home run of the season - a shot over the fence in left centerfield - gave the hosts a four-run advantage heading into the fourth.
After seeing their first two batters go down in order, the next nine MSU batters reached on either base hits or walks en route to the Bulldogs' first eight-run inning of the season. Courtney Bures' RBI triple, Bailey's two-run single and Kinney's two-run triple - her second three-bagger of the day - would highlight the frame.
Mississippi State will return to action on Thursday when the Bulldogs pack up their show for a 6 p.m. contest against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. State will then return home again this weekend to host a three-game series with SEC Eastern Division rival Florida (26-12, 5-5 SEC). Admission to all 2006 MSU Softball home games is free.
