No. 4 Tennessee Uses Three-Run Third To Complete Twinbill Sweep Of 'Dogs
May 25, 2016 | Softball
* Official Statistics
* Official Statistics (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Fourth-ranked Tennessee rallied for a trio of runs on three consecutive two-out hits in the third inning to build a lead it would never relinquish and the Lady Vols finished off a doubleheader sweep of host Mississippi State with a 3-1 series-clinching victory over the Bulldogs in the Saturday nightcap at the MSU Softball Field.
Sophomore Hayle Guess doubled and walked on a 1-for-2 outing to pace four Mississippi State (30-24, 4-18 SEC) players with base knocks. Tennessee (46-6, 17-6) got a 7-for-13 tally from the first four hitters in its order, including a 2-for-2 day from leadoff hitter Sarah Fekete and a 3-for-3 outing from India Chiles in the second spot.
MSU starter Ragan Blake (16-14) surrendered three earned runs on four hits and a walk in just three innings of work to drop her 11th consecutive decision for the Maroon and White, who broke a 23-year-old school record with its 16th-consecutive loss.
Megan Rhodes (13-1) allowed just three hits and a walk in five innings of work to pick up her first win since April 9. All-American Monica Abbott struck out three and surrendered a lone hit in the sixth and seventh innings to pick up her third save of the campaign.
"We started swinging at some bad pitches in the second game and put ourselves in a hole," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "Bottom line is, when you have runners in scoring position, you have to have somebody step up and drive them in.
"I was really pleased with the way we competed today. I thought we did a great job on the mound, as well as defensively. Hitting is contagious. If we can get a few kids to string some hits together, I think other people will pick up on it."
Blake walked Danielle Pieroni to begin the third, but retired the next two Lady Vols in order, including a one-out sac bunt from Fekete that moved Pieroni into position. Chiles caught MSU back on their heels with the next at-bat and laid down a bunt single to put runners on the corners for the visitors, and Tennessee followed with three-straight base hits, including a two-run double down the leftfield line by Tonya Callahan, to take a 3-0 lead.
Boyce singled to lead off the bottom of the frame and quickly moved to third on a groundout by Hayle Guess and a stolen base, before crossing the plate moments later on a wild pitch by Rhodes. State got a leadoff double from Guess in the sixth to chase Rhodes, but Abbott came on to retire the final three batters of the frame. Katie Cooley singled to lead off the seventh but Abbott, again, got her legs back under her and sat down the next three in order, two of which came on swinging strikeouts.
Mississippi State and Tennessee will battle each other in the series finale on Sunday in front of a regional television audience, squaring off at 1:06 p.m. on Fox SportsNet South as part of its SEC-TV package. The game can be picked up locally on Northland Cable channel 24, as well as DirecTV on channel 630. Admission to all 2006 MSU Softball home games is free.
