Sunday, April 13
Starkville
1 p.m.
Mississippi State
33-11, 9-6
10
vs
2
Missouri
21-24, 3-12
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Missouri
2
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
Mississippi State
2
1
2
5
X
10
12
0
State Secures Series Over Missouri In Run-Rule Fashion
April 13, 2025 | Softball
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State scored 10 unanswered runs on Sunday on its way to a 10-2 run-rule victory to clinch the series against Missouri. The win stands as MSU's 14th run-rule victory of the season, which is one shy of the program record set last year.
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The Bulldogs (33-11, 9-6 SEC) hit four home runs in the game, highlighted by Kiarra Sells' first career multi-homer game. Morgan Stiles and Ella Wesolowski also accounted for multiple RBIs in the game. Wesolowski finished 2-for-3, and Sierra Sacco reached in every plate appearance, finishing with three hits.
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"I thought we did a really good job of sticking to our plan, knowing that they had a couple arms that we might see and honestly [Cierra] Harrison was not the first one we expected," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "So I thought we did a good job, especially in the first answering back after they took an early lead. I think it's really cool when it's happening up and down the lineup, and it's different players every game. That's our goal, just to be a deep offensive lineup and not just rely on one hitter. We talk a lot about Sierra [Sacco] and how we go as she goes, but it takes them all. It takes a lot of pressure off of her. When we've got the middle of the order and the bottom of the order to turn it over and finding ways to drive runs in, it really helps our pitching staff and helps us all settle in."
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Raelin Chaffin tossed her 14th complete game of the year to earn her 18th win, which is tied for eighth in school history. She retired 11 straight batters to end the ballgame, and after Missouri (21-24, 3-12 SEC) took a 2-0 lead on a home run, she did not allow another hit. Adding to her standout weekend, Wesolowski picked off State's eighth runner of the year, which is a team single-season record. She was 6-for-8 in the series at the plate with three doubles.
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"I thought we did a much better job of just staying on the attack. Knowing that if a pitch was going to be left over the plate or something over the white, we weren't going to miss. I think that's when we're at our best when we're a little bit more free and staying in an attack mindset. That is tough to do when you're behind in a game. That's really kind of been the difference, is how are we going to stay in that mindset, even when we're behind a couple runs. I thought we did a great job of that in the first inning, and then being able to see that up and down the lineup. Ella Wesolowski is a great example of it. She's been one that's been working hard to get back where she knows she can be and getting out of her own way because she's so talented on both sides of the ball. I think freeing up her mind a bit and just staying confident and loose. When she gets a pitch, she's ready to attack it. It doesn't matter what her count is."
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Kiarra Sells on her three home runs in the series...
"I've just been kind of trusting the process of it all. Throughout this week, I've just been trying to figure out what are some different ways I can relax when I'm up to bat, so I've just been keeping that in a rotation. Yeah, just trusting it and seeing the results."
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Sierra Sacco on the offensive production of the team...
"Well, it's a lot easier whenever you have eight hitters behind you. I think it frees me up, and it's just a good time whenever everyone's hitting and everybody's having a good day."
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Sierra Sacco on responding after trailing in the first inning...
"I think it's very important to answer back right away, especially going down two in the first. That way we don't give them any more momentum going into the second inning, the third inning and so forth. I think it was very important for me to do that and set off the tone for the rest of the game."
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Morgan Bernardini – Hit her fourth home run of the season.
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Sierra Sacco – Reached base in every plate appearance, going 3-for-3 with a walk … hit .667 (8-for-12) in the series with six RBIs … now 12-for-22 (.545) with three doubles, a homer and six RBIs in her career against Missouri … recorded her team-leading 22nd multi-hit game … scored in every game of the series and MSU is now 60-8 when she scores a run … stole the 98th base of her career.
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Kiarra Sells – Collected her third outfield assist, which is tied for the team lead … hit multiple home runs in a game for the first time in her career … finished the series with a 1.500 slugging percentage and three homers, leading the team with seven RBIs.
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Morgan Stiles – Hit her seventh home run of the season … leads the team with an .829 slugging percentage and five homers in SEC play … batted .429 (3-for-7) in the series.
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Ella Wesolowski – Hit her third double in the past two days, driving in two runs … collected her third multi-RBI game of the season … led the team with a .750 (6-for-8) average in the series while collecting three doubles and posting a 1.125 slugging percentage.
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Claire Cahalan led off the game with a single to left center. With one out, Madison Walker reached on fielder's choice that saw Cahalan retired at second before Taylor Ebbs homered to right-center.
Missouri 2, No. 16 Mississippi State 0
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Bottom 1
Sierra Sacco started the frame with a single to center. Kylee Edwards then advanced Sacco to second with a one-out single. Morgan Stiles drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Ella Wesolowski's double down the left-field line scored Stiles and Edwards.
Missouri 2, No. 16 Mississippi State 2
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Bottom 2
Kiarra Sells led off the inning with a homer to right-center.
Missouri 2, No. 16 Mississippi State 3
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Bottom 3
Morgan Bernardini homered to left-center to open the frame. Jessie Blaine then followed with a single, and was pinch ran for by Gretta Grassel. Grassel advanced to second when Sacco walked. She scored on a single to center from Nadia Barbary.
Missouri 2, No. 16 Mississippi State 5
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Bottom 4
Edwards drew a leadoff walk before Morgan Stiles hit a two-run homer. Wesolowski followed with a single through the left side, and advanced to second on fly out to right by Bernardini. With two outs Paige Ernstes walked as a pinch hitter. She and Wesolowski advanced on a wild pitch before Sells hit her second homer of the game.
Missouri 2, No. 16 Mississippi State 10
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For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
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The Bulldogs (33-11, 9-6 SEC) hit four home runs in the game, highlighted by Kiarra Sells' first career multi-homer game. Morgan Stiles and Ella Wesolowski also accounted for multiple RBIs in the game. Wesolowski finished 2-for-3, and Sierra Sacco reached in every plate appearance, finishing with three hits.
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"I thought we did a really good job of sticking to our plan, knowing that they had a couple arms that we might see and honestly [Cierra] Harrison was not the first one we expected," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "So I thought we did a good job, especially in the first answering back after they took an early lead. I think it's really cool when it's happening up and down the lineup, and it's different players every game. That's our goal, just to be a deep offensive lineup and not just rely on one hitter. We talk a lot about Sierra [Sacco] and how we go as she goes, but it takes them all. It takes a lot of pressure off of her. When we've got the middle of the order and the bottom of the order to turn it over and finding ways to drive runs in, it really helps our pitching staff and helps us all settle in."
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Raelin Chaffin tossed her 14th complete game of the year to earn her 18th win, which is tied for eighth in school history. She retired 11 straight batters to end the ballgame, and after Missouri (21-24, 3-12 SEC) took a 2-0 lead on a home run, she did not allow another hit. Adding to her standout weekend, Wesolowski picked off State's eighth runner of the year, which is a team single-season record. She was 6-for-8 in the series at the plate with three doubles.
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Quotables
Samantha Ricketts on the team's offensive approach at the plate in game three..."I thought we did a much better job of just staying on the attack. Knowing that if a pitch was going to be left over the plate or something over the white, we weren't going to miss. I think that's when we're at our best when we're a little bit more free and staying in an attack mindset. That is tough to do when you're behind in a game. That's really kind of been the difference, is how are we going to stay in that mindset, even when we're behind a couple runs. I thought we did a great job of that in the first inning, and then being able to see that up and down the lineup. Ella Wesolowski is a great example of it. She's been one that's been working hard to get back where she knows she can be and getting out of her own way because she's so talented on both sides of the ball. I think freeing up her mind a bit and just staying confident and loose. When she gets a pitch, she's ready to attack it. It doesn't matter what her count is."
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Kiarra Sells on her three home runs in the series...
"I've just been kind of trusting the process of it all. Throughout this week, I've just been trying to figure out what are some different ways I can relax when I'm up to bat, so I've just been keeping that in a rotation. Yeah, just trusting it and seeing the results."
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Sierra Sacco on the offensive production of the team...
"Well, it's a lot easier whenever you have eight hitters behind you. I think it frees me up, and it's just a good time whenever everyone's hitting and everybody's having a good day."
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Sierra Sacco on responding after trailing in the first inning...
"I think it's very important to answer back right away, especially going down two in the first. That way we don't give them any more momentum going into the second inning, the third inning and so forth. I think it was very important for me to do that and set off the tone for the rest of the game."
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Quick Hitters
Call The Bomb Squad – MSU has scored 117 runs off homers this year, which amounts to 39 percent of State's scoring this season … the Bulldogs' 61 homers this year are fourth in program history.Â
Morgan Bernardini – Hit her fourth home run of the season.
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Sierra Sacco – Reached base in every plate appearance, going 3-for-3 with a walk … hit .667 (8-for-12) in the series with six RBIs … now 12-for-22 (.545) with three doubles, a homer and six RBIs in her career against Missouri … recorded her team-leading 22nd multi-hit game … scored in every game of the series and MSU is now 60-8 when she scores a run … stole the 98th base of her career.
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Kiarra Sells – Collected her third outfield assist, which is tied for the team lead … hit multiple home runs in a game for the first time in her career … finished the series with a 1.500 slugging percentage and three homers, leading the team with seven RBIs.
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Morgan Stiles – Hit her seventh home run of the season … leads the team with an .829 slugging percentage and five homers in SEC play … batted .429 (3-for-7) in the series.
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Ella Wesolowski – Hit her third double in the past two days, driving in two runs … collected her third multi-RBI game of the season … led the team with a .750 (6-for-8) average in the series while collecting three doubles and posting a 1.125 slugging percentage.
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Soring Recap
Top 1Claire Cahalan led off the game with a single to left center. With one out, Madison Walker reached on fielder's choice that saw Cahalan retired at second before Taylor Ebbs homered to right-center.
Missouri 2, No. 16 Mississippi State 0
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Bottom 1
Sierra Sacco started the frame with a single to center. Kylee Edwards then advanced Sacco to second with a one-out single. Morgan Stiles drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Ella Wesolowski's double down the left-field line scored Stiles and Edwards.
Missouri 2, No. 16 Mississippi State 2
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Bottom 2
Kiarra Sells led off the inning with a homer to right-center.
Missouri 2, No. 16 Mississippi State 3
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Bottom 3
Morgan Bernardini homered to left-center to open the frame. Jessie Blaine then followed with a single, and was pinch ran for by Gretta Grassel. Grassel advanced to second when Sacco walked. She scored on a single to center from Nadia Barbary.
Missouri 2, No. 16 Mississippi State 5
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Bottom 4
Edwards drew a leadoff walk before Morgan Stiles hit a two-run homer. Wesolowski followed with a single through the left side, and advanced to second on fly out to right by Bernardini. With two outs Paige Ernstes walked as a pinch hitter. She and Wesolowski advanced on a wild pitch before Sells hit her second homer of the game.
Missouri 2, No. 16 Mississippi State 10
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Next Up
The Bulldogs will hit the road for the next two weeks, first traveling to No. 2 Oklahoma on April 18-20 before heading north to meet Kentucky on April 25-27. The first game of next weekend's series with the Sooners will be played at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, home of the Women's College World Series. First pitch in that game is set for 6:30 p.m. CT with the final two games of the series scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday in Norman.Â
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Chaffin, Raelin (18-6)
L: Harrison, Cierra (9-8)
Batting:
HR: Ebbs, Taylor 1
RBI: Ebbs, Taylor 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Walker, Madison 1 ; Ebbs, Taylor 1
HBP: Abruscato, Stefania 1
PO: Abruscato, Stefania 1
Batting:
2B: Wesolowski, Ella 1
HR: Stiles, Morgan 1 ; Bernardini, Morgan 1 ; Sells, Kiarra 2
RBI: Barbary, Nadia 1 ; Stiles, Morgan 2 ; Wesolowski, Ella 2 ; Bernardini, Morgan 1 ; Sells, Kiarra 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Sacco, Sierra 1 ; Edwards, Kylee 2 ; Stiles, Morgan 1 ; Wesolowski, Ella 1 ; Bernardini, Morgan 1 ; Grassel, Gretta 1 ; Hull, Riley 1 ; Sells, Kiarra 2
SB: Sacco, Sierra 1
HBP: Blaine, Jessie 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
4
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballC/OF
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