Third-Inning Missouri Rally Upends No. 20 Bulldogs, 7-3

Friday, March 16

Columbia, Mo.

6:30 PM

Mississippi State

24-3, 0

Missouri

16-13, 0

Mississippi State

Mizzou

Sarai Niu knocked a career-high three hits against the Tigers on Saturday.

Third-Inning Missouri Rally Upends No. 20 Bulldogs, 7-3

March 17, 2018 | Softball

Box Score Box Score Box Score (PDF)

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 20 Mississippi State (24-4, 1-1 SEC) held a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third, but Missouri (17-13, 1-4 SEC) plated four runs in the bottom of third en route to a 7-3 win at Mizzou Stadium on Saturday to even the series.

Five Bulldogs racked up 10 hits in the contest led by junior Sarai Niu who went 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. The outing was Niu's first three-hit game of her career.

Senior Cassady Knudsen suffered the loss to fall to 8-2 on the year. Knudsen allowed seven runs off 10 hits and four walks while striking out two. Sophomore Candace Denis pitched the final two innings, allowing just two hits.

The Tigers and Bulldogs both traded extra-base hits in the first inning with doubles for freshman Mia Davidson and Kolby Romaine, but neither team could push across a run.

MSU had another scoring opportunity in the top of second with back-to-back singles from senior Morgan Bell and junior Kat Moore to lead off the inning, but Tiger pitcher Madi Norman retired the next three batters she faced to leave two Bulldogs stranded for the second straight inning. Knudsen produced a shutdown inning of her own after issuing a one-out walk with a fly out to right and her first strikeout of the game.

For the third straight inning, State got two runners on base as senior Reggie Harrison reached safely on a fielder's choice and Niu's single to right field. The Bulldogs did not waste their third scoring opportunity of the game as Harrison took third base on a wild pitch before a throwing error by Missouri catcher Hatti Moore brought her home. Bell plated the second run of the third inning with a two-out RBI single to right field.

Missouri answered in the bottom of the third, leading off the inning by loading the bases with two walks and a bunt single. A bases-clearing double by Romaine gave the Tigers their first lead of the series, 3-2, before Mizzou scored its final run of the third off a sacrifice fly.

After trading a scoreless fourth, Missouri added three runs in the bottom of the fifth off five hits to extend its lead to 7-2.

State strung together late scoring in the top of the seventh after Harrison got on board with a two-out walk. Niu brought her home with an RBI single to right field, but State could not string together any additional runs and fell to the Tigers, 7-3.

ON DECK
Mississippi State will go for its first SEC opening weekend win since 2011 with the final game of the series on Sunday, March 18 at 12 p.m. CT. Sunday's game will be television nationally on the SEC Network.

WATCH LIVE
The final game of the series will be nationally televised on the SEC Network with Trey Bender and Carol Bruggeman on the call.

Game Three: Mississippi State at Missouri (SEC Network)

LIVE STATS
Missouri will provide live stats for all three games of the weekend series, which can be accessed in the link below.

Mississippi State at Missouri Live Stats

FOLLOW THE DAWGS
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".