Bulldog Bats Use 12-Run Fourth Inning To Cruise To Midweek Victory

Wednesday, March 13

Starkville

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

20-4

ULM

17-9

ULM

Mississippi State

Bulldog Bats Use 12-Run Fourth Inning To Cruise To Midweek Victory

March 13, 2024 | Softball

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By: Brian Ogden, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State sent 15 batters to the plate and scored a single-inning season-high 12 runs in the fourth inning as the Bulldogs cruised to their 11th run-rule victory of the season against ULM.

Madisyn Kennedy and Nadia Barbary both hit grand slams in the inning, and Kennedy later added a second homer in the frame. No. 21/21 State (20-4, 2-1 SEC) also threw its seventh shutout of the year in a 15-0, five-inning victory.

"That was a lot of fun," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "This offense, really all year long, has done a really great job of really staying with it. Even if we're not getting the knockout punch early on when we had opportunities to – the bases were loaded earlier in the game – it doesn't frustrate them. They're really using it to learn for that next at-bat. I think there are a lot of mature approaches. Madisyn (Kennedy) was locked in at the plate. It was a chance to see a lot of really good things. I think that inning starts when you have Brylie St. Clair and Sierra Sacco getting on base. It really just turned into a big team effort."

Six Bulldogs had a hit in the contest, with five collecting multi-hit games. In addition to Kennedy's career-high seven RBIs and Barbary's five, Sacco drove in a pair, and Paige Cook provided the final one with a bases-loaded walk.

Delainey Everett picked up her second win of the year in relief. She tossed 2.0 innings, striking out three. Most notably, she escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third after a pair of Bulldog errors.

Quotables

Samantha Ricketts on Madisyn Kennedy's hot streak…
"It's been a lot of fun. I think the biggest thing is just how free she's playing. She's not putting any extra pressure on herself. She's having a blast. I think it is probably the year where she's been the most relaxed and loose and not beating herself up at one bad at-bat or when she gets out. It's fun to see her relax a little bit and the maturity kind of take over. I think a lot of it has to do with her teammates. They enjoy being around each other in the dugout and she takes that approach to the plate."

Nadia Barbary on her grand slam following Kennedy's…
"It was good. Madi has been on fire, a lot of home runs in a couple of days, and her energy pushes everybody through the lineup to do what she's doing right now."

Madisyn Kennedy on the team's 12-run fourth inning…
"Delainey threw a really good inning before that, and she got out of that jam and it really fired us up. A freshman coming in to do that is huge, and that puts a lot of confidence in the hitters. We are going to go score runs for you. I remember telling one of the pitchers, 'Listen, in this inning, we are going to go score some runs.'"

Quick Hitters

Grand Slams – State now has four grand slams of the season, which is one shy of the school record of five set in 2019 … the last time MSU hit two grand slams in a single game was Feb. 27, 2019 (Fa Leilua and Mia Davidson) … it is the third time overall (April 26, 2014 vs. Arkansas, Sam Lenahan and Mackenzie Toler).

Everybody Up – State has batted around in seven innings this year … the Bulldogs' 12 runs in the fourth inning were the most its scored in a single frame this year … MSU now has 11 run-rule victories on the year, which is tied for third-most in school history (2022, 2018).

Nadia Barbary – Hit her first career grand slam … also singled home a run … recorded a career-high five RBIs.

Madisyn Kennedy – Hit her second career grand slam … has hit five home runs in the last four games with 14 RBIs … now sixth in MSU history with 32 career homers … hit a two-run home run in the same inning … is five shy of a tie for fourth (37, Iyhia McMichael and Caroline Seitz) … has hit a new single-season career-high nine home runs … tied the school record with a career-high seven RBIs.

Sierra Sacco – Went 2-for-2 and drew two walks … scored three times and drove in a pair of runs.

Ella Wesolowski – Picked off a runner at second for the final out in the second … also singled and scored.

Scoring Recap

Bottom 1
Sierra Sacco started the inning with a single through the left side and advanced to second on an error when the ball got past the left fielder. Sacco advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on Madisyn Kennedy's two-out single to center field.
ULM 0, No. 21 Mississippi State 1

Bottom 2
Jessie Blaine singled to right field. Kylee Edwards reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop while Blaine was put out at second. Ella Wesolowski singled up the middle, and Edwards advanced to second. With one out, Brylie St. Clair reached on a fielder's choice to third base, but Edwards beat the throw to third to load the bases. Sacco drew a bases-loaded walk to score Edwards. Nadia Barbary singled to center field to score Wesolowski.
ULM 0, No. 21 Mississippi State 3

Bottom 4
St. Clair singled to second base and advanced to second on Sacco's walk. St. Clair and Sacco advanced on a wild pitch. Barbary drew a walk to load the bases. Paige Cook drew a bases-loaded walk to score St. Clair. Jaydn Burney entered the game to pinch-run for Cook at first. Kennedy hit a grand slam to left field. Aquana Brownlee pinch hit for Edwards and reached first on a dropped fly ball. Edwards re-entered to run and advanced to third on Wesolowski's single through the right side. St. Clair reached on a bunt to the pitcher to load the bases. Sacco also singled to the pitcher, and Edwards scored. Barbary hit the inning's second grand slam to left field. Burney drew a walk. Kennedy hit a two-run home run to left field.
ULM 0, No. 21 Mississippi State 15

Next Up

After a day off, the Bulldogs will welcome No. 13/17 Texas A&M to Nusz Park for a three-game series on March 15-17. Friday's game is set for a 4 p.m. CT first pitch with Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The series finale is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Sunday. All three games will air on SEC Network+.

For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."