Wednesday, March 2
Starkville
6:00 PM
Mississippi State
10-7
8
vs
0
Mississippi Valley State
2-11
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
Miss. Valley St.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
Mississippi State
1
1
0
0
4
2
8
9
1
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Four-Homer Night Lifts State To Run-Rule Victory
March 02, 2022 | Softball
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State hit four home runs in an 8-0 run-rule victory over Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs have now won via the run rule in six of their 10 victories this season and are averaging 8.6 runs per game in wins.
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Mia Davidson got things started with her 78th career homer in the first inning. Chloe Malau'ulu followed her with another solo shot in the second. MSU broke the game open in the fifth inning, when both Matalasi Faapito and Paige Cook hit two-run homers. Cook's blast came after she returned to the plate following an apparent double when an illegal pitch was called.
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"It's nice to see up and down the lineup to have someone other than Mia Davidson hit a home run," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "I think it's credit to a lot of work the hitters have been doing, especially with DJ Sanders, our volunteer. Chloe really has shown power all year long, so to see it show up in-season and in games for us. Same thing for Paige [Cook]. I told her she did a great job, tough play there. I gambled, said give her another swing, because I didn't like the outcome with our baserunning decision there, and she made it pay off. She didn't get too sped up and didn't let it fluster her."
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The Bulldog bench played a role as well. In the sixth, Addison Purvis led off with a pinch-hit single, her fourth hit off the bench in six tries this year. Aquana Brownlee, who had come on as a defensive replacement delivered an RBI triple then scored on a sacrifice fly to end the game in walk-off fashion.
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Faapito got the start in the circle and went 5.0 innings while striking out six to earn her first win in the Maroon and White. Bri Bower pitched a three-up-three-down inning in relief with one strikeout.
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"First of all, I didn't know I was going to wind up in that situation. I hit a line drive over the center fielder's head, and they told me to come back. I was like 'Okay, I don't know what's going on here.' I saw that other pitch before when I was trying to get a bunt down, so I saw two good pitches. The next pitch I saw, I got my eyes behind it, and took it the other way for another barrel. Other than that, I'm just trying to do what I can. I just had to add it up there with [Mia Davidson and Chloe Malau'ulu]."
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Matalasi Faapito on contributing both in the circle and at the plate…
"It feels really good. I feel like every time I get an opportunity, I try to make a difference and do my job and be there for the girls."
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Samantha Ricketts on Matalasi Faapito as both a pitcher and a hitter…
"That's what she does best, and that's what she's done her whole career. It was nice to finally get her a start out there while she's in the lineup, and I thought she really stayed in control, especially after the first batter error. It didn't fluster her and she took control of the game from there and was able to contribute from both sides, which is what she likes to do."
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Paige Cook – Hit her first home run of the season, a two-run shot … home run was the fourth of her career.
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Mia Davidson – Hit her ninth home run of the year to tie the MSU career RBI record (183).
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Matalasi Faapito – Earned her first win as a Bulldog while striking out six … hit a two-run homer.
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Chloe Malau'ulu – Hit her fourth home run of the season, which is a single-season career high.
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Addison Purvis – Picked up a pinch-hit single that led to a run … now 4-for-6 (.667) as a pinch hitter this season.
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Mia Davidson hit a solo home run.
MVSU 0, Mississippi State 1
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Bottom 2
Chloe Malau'ulu hit a solo home run.
MVSU 0, Mississippi State 2
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Bottom 5
Shea Moreno drew a leadoff walk on four pitches. Paige Cook then appeared to double on an 0-1 pitch that saw Moreno thrown out at third, but the play was called back for an illegal pitch. On the ensuing 1-1 count, Cook homered to right-center field. Riley Hull then singled up the middle and scored when Matalasi Faapito homered to left-center field.
MVSU 0, Mississippi State 6
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Bottom 6
Addison Purvis hit a pinch-hit single, and St. Clair re-entered to run at first base. Aquana Brownlee tripled down the right-field line to score St. Clair. Brownlee scored on a sacrifice fly from Riley Hull.
MVSU 0, Mississippi State 8
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Mia Davidson got things started with her 78th career homer in the first inning. Chloe Malau'ulu followed her with another solo shot in the second. MSU broke the game open in the fifth inning, when both Matalasi Faapito and Paige Cook hit two-run homers. Cook's blast came after she returned to the plate following an apparent double when an illegal pitch was called.
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"It's nice to see up and down the lineup to have someone other than Mia Davidson hit a home run," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "I think it's credit to a lot of work the hitters have been doing, especially with DJ Sanders, our volunteer. Chloe really has shown power all year long, so to see it show up in-season and in games for us. Same thing for Paige [Cook]. I told her she did a great job, tough play there. I gambled, said give her another swing, because I didn't like the outcome with our baserunning decision there, and she made it pay off. She didn't get too sped up and didn't let it fluster her."
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The Bulldog bench played a role as well. In the sixth, Addison Purvis led off with a pinch-hit single, her fourth hit off the bench in six tries this year. Aquana Brownlee, who had come on as a defensive replacement delivered an RBI triple then scored on a sacrifice fly to end the game in walk-off fashion.
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Faapito got the start in the circle and went 5.0 innings while striking out six to earn her first win in the Maroon and White. Bri Bower pitched a three-up-three-down inning in relief with one strikeout.
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Quotables
Paige Cook on her first home run of the season following an illegal pitch call…"First of all, I didn't know I was going to wind up in that situation. I hit a line drive over the center fielder's head, and they told me to come back. I was like 'Okay, I don't know what's going on here.' I saw that other pitch before when I was trying to get a bunt down, so I saw two good pitches. The next pitch I saw, I got my eyes behind it, and took it the other way for another barrel. Other than that, I'm just trying to do what I can. I just had to add it up there with [Mia Davidson and Chloe Malau'ulu]."
Â
Matalasi Faapito on contributing both in the circle and at the plate…
"It feels really good. I feel like every time I get an opportunity, I try to make a difference and do my job and be there for the girls."
Â
Samantha Ricketts on Matalasi Faapito as both a pitcher and a hitter…
"That's what she does best, and that's what she's done her whole career. It was nice to finally get her a start out there while she's in the lineup, and I thought she really stayed in control, especially after the first batter error. It didn't fluster her and she took control of the game from there and was able to contribute from both sides, which is what she likes to do."
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Quick Hitters
Aquana Brownlee – Came on as a defensive replacement and later delivered an RBI triple down the right-field line.Â
Paige Cook – Hit her first home run of the season, a two-run shot … home run was the fourth of her career.
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Mia Davidson – Hit her ninth home run of the year to tie the MSU career RBI record (183).
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Matalasi Faapito – Earned her first win as a Bulldog while striking out six … hit a two-run homer.
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Chloe Malau'ulu – Hit her fourth home run of the season, which is a single-season career high.
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Addison Purvis – Picked up a pinch-hit single that led to a run … now 4-for-6 (.667) as a pinch hitter this season.
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Scoring Recap
Bottom 1Mia Davidson hit a solo home run.
MVSU 0, Mississippi State 1
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Bottom 2
Chloe Malau'ulu hit a solo home run.
MVSU 0, Mississippi State 2
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Bottom 5
Shea Moreno drew a leadoff walk on four pitches. Paige Cook then appeared to double on an 0-1 pitch that saw Moreno thrown out at third, but the play was called back for an illegal pitch. On the ensuing 1-1 count, Cook homered to right-center field. Riley Hull then singled up the middle and scored when Matalasi Faapito homered to left-center field.
MVSU 0, Mississippi State 6
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Bottom 6
Addison Purvis hit a pinch-hit single, and St. Clair re-entered to run at first base. Aquana Brownlee tripled down the right-field line to score St. Clair. Brownlee scored on a sacrifice fly from Riley Hull.
MVSU 0, Mississippi State 8
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On Deck
Mississippi State will host the Bulldog Invitational on March 4-6. Furman, Alcorn State and Jacksonville State will be in attendance, and MSU will play five total games. State meets Furman and Alcorn State on Friday and Jacksonville State and the Paladins on Saturday. The tournament concludes with a final game against Alcorn State on Sunday.Â
Follow the Bulldogs
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Faapito, Matalasi (1-0)
L: Daisy Page (1-4)
Batting:
2B: Sydney Wesley 1 ; Keisha White 1
Batting:
3B: Brownlee, Aquana 1
HR: Davidson, Mia 1 ; Faapito, Matalasi 1 ; Malau'ulu, Chloe 1 ; Cook, Paige 1
RBI: Hull, Riley 1 ; Davidson, Mia 1 ; Faapito, Matalasi 2 ; Malau'ulu, Chloe 1 ; Brownlee, Aquana 1 ; Cook, Paige 2
SF: Hull, Riley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hull, Riley 1 ; Davidson, Mia 1 ; Faapito, Matalasi 1 ; Malau'ulu, Chloe 1 ; St. Clair, Brylie 1 ; Moreno, Shea 1 ; Brownlee, Aquana 1 ; Cook, Paige 1
SB: Florian, Allison 1 ; Malau'ulu, Chloe 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
1b/c
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
dp/1b
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballC/INF
/ SoftballP/INF
/ SoftballC/INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
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