Sunday, February 26
Starkville
1:30 PM
Mississippi State
11-3
6
vs
2
Southern Illinois
8-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Southern Illinois
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
0
Mississippi State
0
1
0
4
1
0
X
6
9
2
Olivia Golden's fourth-inning home run put the Bulldogs up for good as they captured the 2017 February Freezer Championship.
Golden’s Bomb Powers MSU To February Freezer Championship
February 26, 2017 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Lockdown pitching from Holly Ward and one monster home run from Olivia Golden were the highlights on Sunday, as the Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-3) took down Southern Illinois (8-7) to capture the 2017 February Freezer Championship at Nusz Park.
"The key is to keep carrying this momentum forward," MSU coach Vann Stuedeman said. "We've won seven in a row and what's fun is we're able to start stringing some hits together. Kat Moore, Reggie Harrison and Olivia Golden, all three had hits in the fourth inning and that was huge.
The lineup seems to be gelling together, too. This group of nine seems to be playing and feeding off of each other, so we'll have to continue with that mojo for sure."
Golden launched a three-run bomb to left field in the bottom of the fourth, completing an MSU comeback and putting the Dogs in the lead for good. The homer was her second of the weekend and of her career.
Complimenting Golden's three-run homer was the pitching of junior Holly Ward, who threw 4.2 innings of relief work, keeping SIU scoreless while fanning six to move to 2-1 on the year.
For the weekend, Ward finished 2-0 with a team-best 13 strikeouts.
The MSU comeback was set up after the Salukis tallied two runs in the opening inning. After a leadoff walk, a Bulldog error put a pair of SIU runners on the basepaths. A two-RBI single would plate a pair of runs for the visitors and give them an early 2-0 lead.
Regan Green, who drew the start for the Maroon and White, responded strongly in the second frame, sitting the Salukis down in order. In the home half, Bevia Robinson kept her weekend domination rolling with an RBI single up the middle, bringing home Caroline Seitz to cut the lead to 2-1.
With the hit, Robinson expanded her career-best hitting streak to five-straight games. Robinson finished the weekend leading the Maroon and White with a .647 average, going 11-for-17 with four runs, three RBI, a double and a triple.
After a quiet third frame, the Bulldogs would turn up the heat at Nusz in the fourth. Calyn Adams doubled to right center to lead things off. After SIU recorded two-straight outs, Kat Moore would single to put runners on the corners and set up an RBI single to left from Reggie Harrison, tying things up at 2-2.
From there, Golden stepped into the box and blasted a 2-2 pitch to left, elevating MSU into the lead at 5-2.
The Dogs would strike again in the fifth, as Emily Heimberger singled up the middle to bring home Seitz to push State's lead to 6-2. Ward would proceed to retire the next six batters in order to close out the game and give the Bulldogs the February Freezer title.
Along with Golden's homer, Adams turned in a 2-for-3 day, her third multi-hit game of the season. Overall, eight of the nine Bulldogs that saw time at the plate earned a hit.
State will now hit the road, heading to Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday, Feb. 28 for a 5 p.m. CT showdown. The Bulldogs will return home on Thursday, March 2, hosting Alabama State at 6 p.m., before welcoming Samford, UMass and Central Arkansas to town for the 2017 Bulldog Slamboree.
2017 February Freezer Schedule…
Friday, Feb. 24
Game 1 – Eastern Illinois def. Southern Illinois, 7-0
Game 2 – Southern Illinois def. North Florida, 5-3
Game 3 - Mississippi State def. North Florida, 7-5
Game 4 - Mississippi State def. Eastern Illinois, 4-1
Saturday, Feb. 25
Game 5 – North Florida def. Eastern Illinois, 4-2
Game 6 - Mississippi State def. Southern Illinois, 5-2
Game 7 – Mississippi State def. North Florida, 4-1
Game 8 – Southern Illinois def. Eastern Illinois, 7-5
Sunday, Feb. 26
Game 9 – Eastern Illinois def. North Florida, 4-3
Game 10 – Mississippi State def. Southern Illinois, 6-2
Scoring Plays Versus Southern Illinois…
2nd Inning – Bevia Robinson kept her dominating weekend going, as she sent a single up the middle to bring home Caroline Seitz and cut SIU's lead to one
4th Inning – Down by one, Reggie Harrison blasts a single to left field to score Calyn Adams and tie things up at 2-2
4th Inning – For the second time this weekend, Olivia Golden sends a rocket over the wall in left field, her second career homer, to score three runs and put MSU ahead, 5-2
5th Inning – Adding an insurance run for the Bulldogs, Emily Heimberger singles up the middle to bring home and score Caroline Seitz, pushing State's lead to 6-2
Bulldog Home Run Tracker…
Robinson's Domination Continues…
Bevia Robinson went 1-for-4 with an RBI on Sunday, finishing the weekend 11-for-17 with four runs scored, three RBI, one triple and a double. She also showcased her blazing speed, stealing four bases. She capped the February Freezer leading the team with a .647 clip, .824 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage.
Robinson also leads the Bulldogs for the overall season with a .500 average, while tallying a .594 slugging percentage, .556 on-base percentage and 10 stolen bases. She is currently riding a career-high five-game hitting streak as well.
Ward Paces Bulldog Pitching Staff For The Weekend…
Junior Holly Ward went 4.2 innings in relief on Sunday, tossing six strikeouts and allowing just one run while keeping SIU scoreless. Ward earned the win to move to 2-0 on the weekend. She paced State with the two victories, 11.2 innings of work and 13 strikeouts, while only letting one run score.
Heimberger Keeps The Hits Coming…
Emily Heimberger went 1-for-3 on the day and drove in a run in the fifth inning. Her RBI single moved her hitting streak to a career-best six-consecutive games.
Moore Shines At The Top Of The Lineup…
Sophomore Kat Moore has been a stud at the top of the Bulldog lineup recently. For the Freezer, Moore went 7-for-18 (.389), scoring three runs and driving in two through five games while at the No. 2 spot in the order. She has also tallied a hit in her last six contests, building on her career-best hitting streak.
With Robinson batting leadoff and Moore at the second spot, the Bulldogs are 6-0 this season.
On Deck…
The Bulldogs hit the road for a midweek contest at Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday, Feb. 28. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT. Afterwards, MSU will return home for a Thursday, March 2 showdown against Alabama State (6 p.m.) at Nusz Park before hosting the Bulldog Slamboree from March 3-5.
Social Media…
For more on Mississippi State softball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap".
"The key is to keep carrying this momentum forward," MSU coach Vann Stuedeman said. "We've won seven in a row and what's fun is we're able to start stringing some hits together. Kat Moore, Reggie Harrison and Olivia Golden, all three had hits in the fourth inning and that was huge.
The lineup seems to be gelling together, too. This group of nine seems to be playing and feeding off of each other, so we'll have to continue with that mojo for sure."
Golden launched a three-run bomb to left field in the bottom of the fourth, completing an MSU comeback and putting the Dogs in the lead for good. The homer was her second of the weekend and of her career.
Complimenting Golden's three-run homer was the pitching of junior Holly Ward, who threw 4.2 innings of relief work, keeping SIU scoreless while fanning six to move to 2-1 on the year.
For the weekend, Ward finished 2-0 with a team-best 13 strikeouts.
The MSU comeback was set up after the Salukis tallied two runs in the opening inning. After a leadoff walk, a Bulldog error put a pair of SIU runners on the basepaths. A two-RBI single would plate a pair of runs for the visitors and give them an early 2-0 lead.
Regan Green, who drew the start for the Maroon and White, responded strongly in the second frame, sitting the Salukis down in order. In the home half, Bevia Robinson kept her weekend domination rolling with an RBI single up the middle, bringing home Caroline Seitz to cut the lead to 2-1.
With the hit, Robinson expanded her career-best hitting streak to five-straight games. Robinson finished the weekend leading the Maroon and White with a .647 average, going 11-for-17 with four runs, three RBI, a double and a triple.
After a quiet third frame, the Bulldogs would turn up the heat at Nusz in the fourth. Calyn Adams doubled to right center to lead things off. After SIU recorded two-straight outs, Kat Moore would single to put runners on the corners and set up an RBI single to left from Reggie Harrison, tying things up at 2-2.
From there, Golden stepped into the box and blasted a 2-2 pitch to left, elevating MSU into the lead at 5-2.
The Dogs would strike again in the fifth, as Emily Heimberger singled up the middle to bring home Seitz to push State's lead to 6-2. Ward would proceed to retire the next six batters in order to close out the game and give the Bulldogs the February Freezer title.
Along with Golden's homer, Adams turned in a 2-for-3 day, her third multi-hit game of the season. Overall, eight of the nine Bulldogs that saw time at the plate earned a hit.
State will now hit the road, heading to Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday, Feb. 28 for a 5 p.m. CT showdown. The Bulldogs will return home on Thursday, March 2, hosting Alabama State at 6 p.m., before welcoming Samford, UMass and Central Arkansas to town for the 2017 Bulldog Slamboree.
2017 February Freezer Schedule…
Friday, Feb. 24
Game 1 – Eastern Illinois def. Southern Illinois, 7-0
Game 2 – Southern Illinois def. North Florida, 5-3
Game 3 - Mississippi State def. North Florida, 7-5
Game 4 - Mississippi State def. Eastern Illinois, 4-1
Saturday, Feb. 25
Game 5 – North Florida def. Eastern Illinois, 4-2
Game 6 - Mississippi State def. Southern Illinois, 5-2
Game 7 – Mississippi State def. North Florida, 4-1
Game 8 – Southern Illinois def. Eastern Illinois, 7-5
Sunday, Feb. 26
Game 9 – Eastern Illinois def. North Florida, 4-3
Game 10 – Mississippi State def. Southern Illinois, 6-2
Scoring Plays Versus Southern Illinois…
2nd Inning – Bevia Robinson kept her dominating weekend going, as she sent a single up the middle to bring home Caroline Seitz and cut SIU's lead to one
4th Inning – Down by one, Reggie Harrison blasts a single to left field to score Calyn Adams and tie things up at 2-2
4th Inning – For the second time this weekend, Olivia Golden sends a rocket over the wall in left field, her second career homer, to score three runs and put MSU ahead, 5-2
5th Inning – Adding an insurance run for the Bulldogs, Emily Heimberger singles up the middle to bring home and score Caroline Seitz, pushing State's lead to 6-2
Bulldog Home Run Tracker…
- Reggie Harrison vs. Fresno State, Feb. 16, 2017 (0 on, 0 outs)
- Morgan Bell vs. North Florida, Feb. 24, 2017 (0 on, 0 outs)
- Reggie Harrison vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2017 (1 on, 1 out)
- Olivia Golden vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2017 (0 on, 1 out)
- Olivia Golden vs. Southern Illinois, Feb. 26, 2017 (2 on, 2 outs)
Robinson's Domination Continues…
Bevia Robinson went 1-for-4 with an RBI on Sunday, finishing the weekend 11-for-17 with four runs scored, three RBI, one triple and a double. She also showcased her blazing speed, stealing four bases. She capped the February Freezer leading the team with a .647 clip, .824 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage.
Robinson also leads the Bulldogs for the overall season with a .500 average, while tallying a .594 slugging percentage, .556 on-base percentage and 10 stolen bases. She is currently riding a career-high five-game hitting streak as well.
Ward Paces Bulldog Pitching Staff For The Weekend…
Junior Holly Ward went 4.2 innings in relief on Sunday, tossing six strikeouts and allowing just one run while keeping SIU scoreless. Ward earned the win to move to 2-0 on the weekend. She paced State with the two victories, 11.2 innings of work and 13 strikeouts, while only letting one run score.
Heimberger Keeps The Hits Coming…
Emily Heimberger went 1-for-3 on the day and drove in a run in the fifth inning. Her RBI single moved her hitting streak to a career-best six-consecutive games.
Moore Shines At The Top Of The Lineup…
Sophomore Kat Moore has been a stud at the top of the Bulldog lineup recently. For the Freezer, Moore went 7-for-18 (.389), scoring three runs and driving in two through five games while at the No. 2 spot in the order. She has also tallied a hit in her last six contests, building on her career-best hitting streak.
With Robinson batting leadoff and Moore at the second spot, the Bulldogs are 6-0 this season.
On Deck…
The Bulldogs hit the road for a midweek contest at Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday, Feb. 28. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT. Afterwards, MSU will return home for a Thursday, March 2 showdown against Alabama State (6 p.m.) at Nusz Park before hosting the Bulldog Slamboree from March 3-5.
Social Media…
For more on Mississippi State softball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap".
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ward, Holly (2-1)
L: Doyle,Nicole (2-3)
Batting:
RBI: Harre,Shaye 2
SH: Patterson,Merri Ann 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Baranski,Susie 1 ; Brandenburg,Eyrika 1
Batting:
2B: Bell, Morgan 1 ; Seitz, Caroline 1 ; Adams, Calyn 1
HR: Golden, Olivia 1
RBI: Robinson, Bevia 1 ; Harrison, Reggie 1 ; Golden, Olivia 3 ; Heimberger, Emily 1
SH: Bailey, Katie Anne 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Moore, Kat 1 ; Harrison, Reggie 1 ; Golden, Olivia 1 ; Seitz, Caroline 2 ; Adams, Calyn 1
SB: Moore, Kat 1 ; Harrison, Reggie 1
HBP: Harrison, Reggie 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF/C
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