Saturday, February 23
Starkville
12:00 PM
Mississippi State
8-3
4
vs
2
Georgia Tech
5-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Georgia Tech
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
2
7
1
Mississippi State
0
0
0
0
0
4
X
4
3
0
Trailing 2-1, Fa Leilua slugged a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to lift MSU to a 4-2 victory over Georgia Tech.
Leilua Lifts Bulldogs to 4-2 Victory over Georgia Tech
February 23, 2019 | Softball
by Taylor Shirey, Assistant Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Facing a two-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth, Mississippi State softball plated four runs with help of a three-run home run from junior Fa Leilua to rally past Georgia Tech, 4-2, Saturday at Nusz Park.
State (8-3) only needed three hits, two of which came in the sixth inning, to knock off the Yellow Jackets (5-5) to open The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament. Leilua's eighth home run of the season plated three of MSU's four runs scored in the come-from-behind victory.
After tossing 2.1 scoreless innings to open the game, MSU lifted starting pitcher freshman Grace Fagan for junior Alyssa Loza. Loza allowed a single up the middle, before a Tricia Awald double with two outs plated the first Georgia Tech run of the game.
The Yellow Jackets would hold its 1-0 lead until adding an insurance run in the sixth inning. After a two out walk, the wind took Crosby Huckabay's fly ball to left off the outfield wall for a triple to push the Georgia Tech lead to 2-0.
State led off the bottom of the sixth with a pinch-hit walk from sophomore Carter Spexarth. Sophomore Grace Dabbs beat out an infield single to third to put the tying run on board for the top of the order.
Senior Emily Heimbeger laid down a sacrifice bunt in front of the play, but the Yellow Jackets mishandled the play to load the bases with no outs.
Georgia Tech would retire its first Bulldog with a fly ball to left field that was too shallow to allow punch runner freshman Jamie Gregg to tag up and score from third, but sophomore Mia Davidson answered with a fly ball to right field for the sacrifice, cutting Georgia Tech's lead to 2-1.
Leilua answered with the two-out home run to right field to clear the bases and give State it first lead of the game at 4-1.
Loza allowed a two-out single in the top of the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate, but Fagan re-entered the game to force a ground out at second to pick up the save and preserve the victory.
Picking up her third win of the season, Loza tossed 4.1 innings and allowed just two runs off six hits and two walks. Fagan recorded the first save of her Bulldog career, pitching 2.2 innings and allows just three base runners of a hit, walk and hit by pitch in the outing.
Quoting Head Coach Vann Stuedeman
"We got a late-innings win here. We keep fighting. We're not going away like Alex (Wilcox) did in our wall sit challenge. We sort of vowed that we wouldn't get off the wall for Alex. That's what we are trying to teach this year. The game is not over until the last pitch is thrown, and we need to make sure that we are sitting on that wall. That's what I'm looking for – grit, fight. belief in one another and willing to scratch it out – which is what we did today."
Quoting Junior Fa Leilua
"Fighting, especially with this team, is special. It is definitely special and is nothing that I have never experienced with any other team. All I got to say is that I've to keep my down, keep grinding and just trust my teammates. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my teammates, especially the coaching staff. I'm loving every single moment of this."
BOMBS AWAY!
With just 11 games under her belt in a Maroon and White uniform, junior Fa Leilua has already slugged eight home runs. She is just two shy of cracking MSU's single-season annuals for a seven-way tie for ninth at 10 home runs. She has slugged at least one home run in MSU's last four games.
2019 The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament Schedule
Saturday, Feb. 23
Game 1 – Mississippi State def. Georgia Tech, 4-2
Saturday, Feb. 24
Game 2 – Alcorn State vs. Georgia Tech – 10 a.m. CT
Game 3 – Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech – 12:30 p.m. CT
Game 4 – Mississippi State vs. Southeastern Louisiana – 3 p.m. CT
Game 5 – Southeastern Louisiana vs. Alcorn State – 5:30 p.m. CT
Monday, Feb. 25
Game 6 – Georgia Tech vs. Southeastern Louisiana – 10 a.m. CT
Game 7 – Alcorn State vs. Southeastern Louisiana – 12:30 p.m. CT
Game 8 – Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech – 3 p.m. CT
Game 9 – Mississippi State vs. Alcorn State – 5:30 p.m. CT
ON DECK
Mississippi State returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 24 with a doubleheader at Nusz Park. The action begins with a rematch against the Yellow Jackets at 12:30 p.m. CT. MSU will then face Southeastern Louisiana at 3 p.m. CT. Prior to State's first contest, fans can pick up a commemorative "The Snowman" Tournament softball.
WATCH LIVE
Monday's doubleheader slate will be broadcasted live on the SEC Network+ via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app. Jackson Ledford (play-by-play) and softball alumna Morgan Bell (analyst) will have the call.
Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech
Mississippi State vs. Alcorn State
LIVE STAS
Mississippi State will provide live stats for all nine contests of The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament. Live stats can be accessed by visiting www.msu.statbroadcast.com.
ADMISSION
All regular-season contests at Nusz Park are free admission.
WEATHER
Sunday, Feb. 24 – 58 Degrees, Partly Cloudy (0%)
Monday, Feb. 25 – 58 Degrees, Partly Cloudy (0%)
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".
STARKVILLE – Facing a two-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth, Mississippi State softball plated four runs with help of a three-run home run from junior Fa Leilua to rally past Georgia Tech, 4-2, Saturday at Nusz Park.
State (8-3) only needed three hits, two of which came in the sixth inning, to knock off the Yellow Jackets (5-5) to open The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament. Leilua's eighth home run of the season plated three of MSU's four runs scored in the come-from-behind victory.
After tossing 2.1 scoreless innings to open the game, MSU lifted starting pitcher freshman Grace Fagan for junior Alyssa Loza. Loza allowed a single up the middle, before a Tricia Awald double with two outs plated the first Georgia Tech run of the game.
The Yellow Jackets would hold its 1-0 lead until adding an insurance run in the sixth inning. After a two out walk, the wind took Crosby Huckabay's fly ball to left off the outfield wall for a triple to push the Georgia Tech lead to 2-0.
State led off the bottom of the sixth with a pinch-hit walk from sophomore Carter Spexarth. Sophomore Grace Dabbs beat out an infield single to third to put the tying run on board for the top of the order.
Senior Emily Heimbeger laid down a sacrifice bunt in front of the play, but the Yellow Jackets mishandled the play to load the bases with no outs.
Georgia Tech would retire its first Bulldog with a fly ball to left field that was too shallow to allow punch runner freshman Jamie Gregg to tag up and score from third, but sophomore Mia Davidson answered with a fly ball to right field for the sacrifice, cutting Georgia Tech's lead to 2-1.
Leilua answered with the two-out home run to right field to clear the bases and give State it first lead of the game at 4-1.
Loza allowed a two-out single in the top of the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate, but Fagan re-entered the game to force a ground out at second to pick up the save and preserve the victory.
Picking up her third win of the season, Loza tossed 4.1 innings and allowed just two runs off six hits and two walks. Fagan recorded the first save of her Bulldog career, pitching 2.2 innings and allows just three base runners of a hit, walk and hit by pitch in the outing.
Quoting Head Coach Vann Stuedeman
"We got a late-innings win here. We keep fighting. We're not going away like Alex (Wilcox) did in our wall sit challenge. We sort of vowed that we wouldn't get off the wall for Alex. That's what we are trying to teach this year. The game is not over until the last pitch is thrown, and we need to make sure that we are sitting on that wall. That's what I'm looking for – grit, fight. belief in one another and willing to scratch it out – which is what we did today."
Quoting Junior Fa Leilua
"Fighting, especially with this team, is special. It is definitely special and is nothing that I have never experienced with any other team. All I got to say is that I've to keep my down, keep grinding and just trust my teammates. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my teammates, especially the coaching staff. I'm loving every single moment of this."
BOMBS AWAY!
With just 11 games under her belt in a Maroon and White uniform, junior Fa Leilua has already slugged eight home runs. She is just two shy of cracking MSU's single-season annuals for a seven-way tie for ninth at 10 home runs. She has slugged at least one home run in MSU's last four games.
2019 The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament Schedule
Saturday, Feb. 23
Game 1 – Mississippi State def. Georgia Tech, 4-2
Saturday, Feb. 24
Game 2 – Alcorn State vs. Georgia Tech – 10 a.m. CT
Game 3 – Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech – 12:30 p.m. CT
Game 4 – Mississippi State vs. Southeastern Louisiana – 3 p.m. CT
Game 5 – Southeastern Louisiana vs. Alcorn State – 5:30 p.m. CT
Monday, Feb. 25
Game 6 – Georgia Tech vs. Southeastern Louisiana – 10 a.m. CT
Game 7 – Alcorn State vs. Southeastern Louisiana – 12:30 p.m. CT
Game 8 – Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech – 3 p.m. CT
Game 9 – Mississippi State vs. Alcorn State – 5:30 p.m. CT
ON DECK
Mississippi State returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 24 with a doubleheader at Nusz Park. The action begins with a rematch against the Yellow Jackets at 12:30 p.m. CT. MSU will then face Southeastern Louisiana at 3 p.m. CT. Prior to State's first contest, fans can pick up a commemorative "The Snowman" Tournament softball.
WATCH LIVE
Monday's doubleheader slate will be broadcasted live on the SEC Network+ via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app. Jackson Ledford (play-by-play) and softball alumna Morgan Bell (analyst) will have the call.
Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech
Mississippi State vs. Alcorn State
LIVE STAS
Mississippi State will provide live stats for all nine contests of The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament. Live stats can be accessed by visiting www.msu.statbroadcast.com.
ADMISSION
All regular-season contests at Nusz Park are free admission.
WEATHER
Sunday, Feb. 24 – 58 Degrees, Partly Cloudy (0%)
Monday, Feb. 25 – 58 Degrees, Partly Cloudy (0%)
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".
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Loza, Alyssa (3-1)
L: Morgan Bruce (2-1)
S: Fagan, Grace (1)
Batting:
2B: Crosby Huckabay 1
3B: Crosby Huckabay 1
RBI: Tricia Awald 1 ; Crosby Huckabay 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bailee Zeitler 1 ; Sydney Stavro 1
CS: Tricia Awald 1
HBP: Crosby Huckabay 1
PO: Rebecca Prairie 1
Batting:
HR: Leilua, Fa 1
RBI: Davidson, Mia 1 ; Leilua, Fa 3
SH: Heimberger, Emily 1
SF: Davidson, Mia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Heimberger, Emily 1 ; Leilua, Fa 1 ; Gregg, Jamie 1 ; Dabbs, Grace 1
CS: Robinson, Bevia 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
OF
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