Sunday, March 14
Oxford, Miss.
4:00 PM
Mississippi State
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Ole Miss
17-7, 0
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Mississippi State
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Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
No. 23 Softball Falls At Ole Miss On Sunday
March 14, 2021 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – Mississippi State's softball team jumped out to an early lead at Ole Miss on Sunday but failed to hold it as the Rebels rebounded for a 4-1 victory.
The No. 23 Bulldogs (15-6, 0-2 SEC) pushed a run across in the top of the first and looked poised to do more damage with the bases loaded but lined into an inning-ending double play.
Ole Miss (17-7, 2-0 SEC) tied the game in the bottom of the second when Autumn Gillespie was awarded home on a play that was ruled obstruction. Gillespie initially appeared to be thrown out at the plate by Anna Kate Segars, but the umpire ruled Mia Davidson did not give her a path to score.
The Rebels scored three in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead and result in the final score.
"If we limit the freebies, it's not a big inning for them there," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "The hit by pitches and the walks, I think, allows that to happen. I thought Aspen [Wesley] did a good job of mixing and what we were looking for in a start out of her. Some of those walks and HBPs came back to get her in that inning."
Chloe Malau'ulu, Davidson and Paige Cook all turned in two-hit nights. Malau'ulu scored State's lone run, coming home on a single from Carter Spexarth.
"I thought they made adjustments to what their plan was and how they were getting pitched. We just have to be able to string some of those together and put more runs across on the scoreboard."
Chloe Malau'ulu – Extended her reached-base streak to 27 games with a pair of singles.
Carter Spexarth – Drove in MSU's only run … Extended her hitting streak to a career-best eight games … Batting .440 (11-for-25) in that span with five extra-base hits and 10 RBIs.
Anna Kate Segars – Nearly threw out a runner at the plate for the second day in a row … Picked up her third outfield assist of the year, cutting down a batter trying to stretch for a double.
Aspen Wesley – Struck out the side in the first after allowing a leadoff single … Finished with five strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
Chloe Malau'ulu was hit by the first pitch of the game and advanced to second on a Fa Leilua walk. Mia Davidson singled to load the bases, and Carter Spexarth drove in Malau'ulu with a single to left field.
Mississippi State 1, Ole Miss 0
Bottom 2
Autumn Gillespie walked to open the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Mikayla Allee was hit by a pitch, and Aynslie Furbush, pinch hitting, was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tate Whitley hit a sacrifice fly to center field, that initially looked like a double play, but the umpire ruled obstruction at the plate, counting the run.
Mississippi State 1, Ole Miss 1
Bottom 4
Allee led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Whitley beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out. Blaise Biringer singled off a diving Montana Davidson's glove, scoring Allee. Paige Smith then hit a ball off the right-center field wall, scoring Whitley and Biringer, but was thrown out at second while trying to stretch it to a double.
Mississippi State 1, Ole Miss 4
The No. 23 Bulldogs (15-6, 0-2 SEC) pushed a run across in the top of the first and looked poised to do more damage with the bases loaded but lined into an inning-ending double play.
Ole Miss (17-7, 2-0 SEC) tied the game in the bottom of the second when Autumn Gillespie was awarded home on a play that was ruled obstruction. Gillespie initially appeared to be thrown out at the plate by Anna Kate Segars, but the umpire ruled Mia Davidson did not give her a path to score.
The Rebels scored three in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead and result in the final score.
"If we limit the freebies, it's not a big inning for them there," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "The hit by pitches and the walks, I think, allows that to happen. I thought Aspen [Wesley] did a good job of mixing and what we were looking for in a start out of her. Some of those walks and HBPs came back to get her in that inning."
Chloe Malau'ulu, Davidson and Paige Cook all turned in two-hit nights. Malau'ulu scored State's lone run, coming home on a single from Carter Spexarth.
Quotables
Samantha Ricketts on State's trio of batters with multi-hit games:"I thought they made adjustments to what their plan was and how they were getting pitched. We just have to be able to string some of those together and put more runs across on the scoreboard."
Quick Hitters
Fa Leilua – Drew her SEC-leading 21st walk of the year.Chloe Malau'ulu – Extended her reached-base streak to 27 games with a pair of singles.
Carter Spexarth – Drove in MSU's only run … Extended her hitting streak to a career-best eight games … Batting .440 (11-for-25) in that span with five extra-base hits and 10 RBIs.
Anna Kate Segars – Nearly threw out a runner at the plate for the second day in a row … Picked up her third outfield assist of the year, cutting down a batter trying to stretch for a double.
Aspen Wesley – Struck out the side in the first after allowing a leadoff single … Finished with five strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
Scoring Recap
Top 1Chloe Malau'ulu was hit by the first pitch of the game and advanced to second on a Fa Leilua walk. Mia Davidson singled to load the bases, and Carter Spexarth drove in Malau'ulu with a single to left field.
Mississippi State 1, Ole Miss 0
Bottom 2
Autumn Gillespie walked to open the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Mikayla Allee was hit by a pitch, and Aynslie Furbush, pinch hitting, was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tate Whitley hit a sacrifice fly to center field, that initially looked like a double play, but the umpire ruled obstruction at the plate, counting the run.
Mississippi State 1, Ole Miss 1
Bottom 4
Allee led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Whitley beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out. Blaise Biringer singled off a diving Montana Davidson's glove, scoring Allee. Paige Smith then hit a ball off the right-center field wall, scoring Whitley and Biringer, but was thrown out at second while trying to stretch it to a double.
Mississippi State 1, Ole Miss 4
On Deck
State and Ole Miss will play the series finale at 6 p.m. on Monday. The game will air on SEC Network. Following the series, MSU travels to Samford on March 17 for a 6 p.m. first pitch.Follow the Bulldogs
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: A. Tillmann (4-1)
L: Wesley, Aspen (2-3)
S: A. Borgen (1)
Batting:
RBI: Spexarth, Carter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Malau'ulu, Chloe 1
HBP: Malau'ulu, Chloe 1 ; Segars, Anna Kate 1
Batting:
RBI: B. Biringer 1 ; P. Smith 2 ; T. Whitley 1
SH: J. Puk 1 ; A. Furbush 1
SF: T. Whitley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: B. Biringer 1 ; A. Gillespie 1 ; M. Allee 1 ; T. Whitley 1
HBP: J. Puk 1 ; M. Allee 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
3B/UTL
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF/1B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
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