Bulldogs Battle Back For Victory In Home Opener

Thursday, February 13

Starkville

5 p.m.

Mississippi State

5-1

Southern Illinois

1-5

Southern Illinois

Mississippi State

Bulldogs Battle Back For Victory In Home Opener

February 13, 2025 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes (PDF)Photo Gallery

By: Brian Ogden, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Despite falling behind 3-0 in the first, No. 19 Mississippi State scored 10 unanswered runs on its way to a victory in its home opener for the 12th consecutive season, downing Southern Illinois, 10-3.

Lexi Sosa earned the win in relief, tossing 5.2 innings while recording career highs in strikeouts (7) and total pitches (103). She also helped her case with a sacrifice fly to score State's sixth run. Josey Marron started the ballgame, but exited without recording an out.

The Bulldogs (5-1) collected a season-high 11 hits and scored in double figures for the first time this year. Kylee Edwards led the way with three RBIs, and Jessie Blaine added a pair.

"I thought we really did a great job," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "The message from last weekend and then coming into this week was picking each other up and having each other's backs. I thought the team did that and really made sure it was, "Hey Josey we got you, no big deal." I think the biggest thing when you get down early like that is not trying to press and to play defensively. It didn't feel like that at all. I thought they were very composed, and the message was just keep doing what we do. Stay on the attack even though we have a deficit to make up for. It helps when you get a big swing like that from Nadia to start off our half of the first. I love the response. I thought they really did a great job with mature at-bats and chipping away and not being too stressed out from being down too big to start."

Two Bulldogs recorded milestones along the way. Sierra Sacco picked up her 200th career hit, and Morgan Stiles picked up her first. Meanwhile, Morgan Bernardini recorded her first career multi-hit game and first career double.

Quotables

Samantha Ricketts on Lexi Sosa coming in in relief…
"She did a great job. We knew that if we could get out of that inning with just three runs that was going to give us a good shot. If it had gotten any bigger, four or five runs, it would have been a little more demoralizing. She's mature. She's a sixth-year senior. She's been there before. I think she had all the composure in the world and knew that the defense was going to have her back. I thought she did a great job continuing to attack the zone and not being phased by the hitters. And she was playing on both sides of the ball. That's tough to do today, and she just does a little bit of everything for us. It was really good to see her make a big impact in the circle and in the box."

Lexi Sosa on coming in with three runs already scored, bases loaded and no outs…
"Honestly, I just took it one pitch at a time. I was staying very present and just one pitch. I'm not trying to get too ahead of myself. I'm not trying to think about the next out. I'm just kind of attacking and going right after them, so it was a pretty good day for me. I really used the corners a lot today, so that was awesome."

Nadia Barbary on her home run...
"The plan was just to go up there and be aggressive, and I got a good pitch to be aggressive on. I just want to pick up my team, you know, after that first inning and just get the energy back on our side."

Quick Hitters

Home Sweet Home Openers – State improved to 27-7 all-time in home openers … the Bulldogs have now won 12 straight home openers.

Nadia Barbary – Hit her first home run of the season and recorded her first multi-hit game of the year.

Morgan Bernardini – Drove her first career double and recorded her first career multi-hit game … extended her career-long hitting streak to four games … batting .500 (5-for-10) during the streak with a double.

Jessie Blaine – Drove in the go-ahead run in the second with a single … plated a second run with a ground out for her first multi-RBI game of the season.

Kylee Edwards – Posted her second multi-RBI game of the season with a season-high three RBIs … finished with a double and a stolen base … RBI double came with two outs, giving her four two-out RBIs this year, which trails only Sierra Sacco (5) on the team …as a team, nearly 50 percent (11-of-24) of State's RBIs have come with two outs this season.

Delainey Everett – Made her first appearance in the circle since the death of her father and recorded her first strikeout of the season … extended her scoreless innings streak to a career-long 10.2 innings, dating back to last year.

Sierra Sacco – Recorded her 200th career hit with an RBI single in the second to tie the game … posted her team-leading third multi-hit game of the season … batting .778 (7-for-9) with runners on base and .833 (5-for-6) with runners in scoring position … batting .600 (9-for-15) during her current four-game hitting streak with four doubles and seven RBIs.

Kiarra Sells – Extended her career-long hitting streak to six games, with a hit in every game this year … drew a pair of walks for the second time this year … also stole a base.

Lexi Sosa – Entered in a bases loaded situation and retired three batters in order to escape the jam … tied her career high with seven strikeouts … also tossed a career-high 103 pitches … now has eight strikeouts in 8.0 innings without a walk this season.

Morgan Stiles – Picked up her first career hit.

Scoring Recap

Top 1
The first four Salukis walked to open the game, driving in a run. With the bases still loaded, SIU extended its lead when an error allowed Emma Austin to score on a dropped pop up. Haley Wilkerson also walked with the bases loaded to bring home the third run of the inning.
Southern Illinois 3, No. 19 Mississippi State 0

Bottom 1
With one out, Nadia Barbary hit a home run to right-center field. Kiarra Sells and Jessie Blaine drew back-to-back walks before Lexi Sosa singled to load the bases. Kylee Edwards brought in Sells with a grounder to short.
Southern Illinois 3, No. 19 Mississippi State 2

Bottom 2
Morgan Bernardini led off the inning with a double to left center. Morgan Stiles laid down a sacrifice bunt to push Bernardini to third. She scored on a single by Sierra Sacco to tie the game. Sacco then stole second base and Sells walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Jessie Blaine gave the Bulldogs the lead with an RBI single up the middle.
Southern Illinois 3, No. 19 Mississippi State 4

Bottom 4
Stiles walked, and Sacco and Barbary singled to load the bases. Kiarra Sells brought in Stiles with a single for the first run of the inning. With one out, Lexi Sosa hit a sacrifice fly scoring Sacco. Sells stole second before Edwards doubled to right field to score both runners.
Southern Illinois 3, No. 19 Mississippi State 8

Bottom 5
Bernardini singled up the middle, and Kalani Sells pinch ran at first. Stiles singled through the left side to put runners on first and second. With one out, Barbary reached on a dropped fly ball by the center fielder, allowing Sells to score. Gretta Grassel pinch ran for Barbary, and Kiarra Sells then walked to load the bases. Blaine brought home Stiles on a ground out.
Southern Illinois 3, No. 19 Mississippi State 10

Next Up

The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial presented by Newk's Eatery continues on Friday with five games on the schedule. Mississippi State's day begins at 2 p.m. CT against North Texas. The Bulldogs will then play Bradley at 4:30 p.m.

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