No. 18 Mississippi State Stumbles in Arkansas Series Finale

Sunday, April 1

Fayetteville, Ark.

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

28-9, 3-6

#23 Arkansas

28-6, 5-4

Mississippi State

Arkansas

Freshman MIa Davidson moved into a tie for fifth place for single-season home runs with her 13th of the year.

No. 18 Mississippi State Stumbles in Arkansas Series Finale

April 01, 2018 | Softball

Box Score Box Score Box Score (PDF)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 18 Mississippi State (28-9, 3-6 SEC) held a 2-1 lead after three innings, but Arkansas (28-6, 5-4 SEC) used a five-run fourth to capture an 8-2 victory in Sunday's series finale at Bogle Park.

Junior Kat Moore and Senior Morgan Bell were the lone Bulldogs to record multiple hits in Sunday's finale. Bell went 2-for-3 with the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the third.

Senior Holly Ward (10-4) came into the game in the top of the first in relief for freshman Emily Williams. Ward tossed 4.0 innings for the Bulldogs, allowing six runs off six hits and four walks. The right-hander struck out two.

Williams started the game for the Bulldogs, issuing two walks before being lifted for Ward. Ward needed just two pitches to get out the jam, forcing a 5-3 double play and a groundout at second to retire the side.

Arkansas took advantage of a couple walks and wild pitches to put runners on the corners with no outs in the bottom of the second. Moore saved an extra-base hit with a great snag, running into the wall in center, but a Razorback would score on the sacrifice to give Arkansas a 1-0 lead.

Freshman Mia Davidson evened the score in the top of the third as she clobbered a homer to left field, her 50^th hit of her freshman season. Bell followed up with a second solo homer of the third inning with a long ball to left to put the Bulldogs on top 2-1.

The lead was short lived for MSU as Arkansas used a double, fielder's choice and an A.J. Belans RBI single to center to lock the game back up at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth. After the game-tying hit, Arkansas would load the bases with back-to-back infield singles to shortstop. Two bases-loaded walks and a two-RBI single up the middle by Katie Warrick would give Arkansas a 6-2 lead.

Arkansas would extend its lead in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run by Warrick.

The Bulldogs had runners in scoring position in fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but could not manufacture a second comeback.

MAMA MIA!
Freshman Mia Davidson continues to crush pitches as she slugged her 13^th home run of the season against Arkansas. She is now tied with Kellie Wilkerson (1999) for the second-most home runs ever hit by a Mississippi State freshman. Her 13^th bomb also ties Caroline Seitz (2015), Logan Foulks (2013) and Wilkerson (1999) for fifth in single-season history. The home run also tied Georgia's Alyssa DiCarlo for the SEC lead.

ON DECK
No. 18 Mississippi State returns to Nusz Park next weekend for a Top 25 showdown in Starkville as the Bulldogs host No. 12 Texas A&M for a three-game series. The series begins on Friday, April 6 with a 7:30 p.m. CT first pitch aired nationally on ESPNU.

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