Derby Day Dingers
April 16, 2025 | Softball
STARKVILLE – The vehicles parked beyond the outfield wall at Nusz Park were highlighted with a bright bullseye for Mississippi State hitters on Sunday, as the Bulldogs blasted four home runs in the program's 10-2 rubber-match victory over Missouri. Those cars would be in even more danger after the game.
With the Starkville police and firefighters anxiously awaiting their turn to slug homers and take home this year's First Responder Home Run Derby crown, the MSU softball program wanted to show them how it's done first.
"I thought we did a really good job, especially in the first, answering back after they took an early lead," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "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, is to be just a deep offensive lineup and not just rely on one hitter."
Securing 14 run-rule wins takes effort from everyone on the roster. That sentiment was proven tenfold in the series finale against the Tigers, as Morgan Bernardini, Morgan Stiles and Kiarra Sells all recorded homers in the contest. Sells recorded her first career multi-homer game.
Whether hitting first in the starting lineup or the nine hole, Sells has continued to believe in herself and her teammates regardless of the situation.
"I've just kind of been trusting the process of it all throughout this week," Sells said. "I'm kind of just trying to figure out what are some different ways that I can relax when I'm up to bat. I've been keeping that in a rotation in my head and you see the result."
Although there were plenty of first responders on standby, someone needed to call the bomb squad to handle State's explosive bats. The Bulldogs outhit Missouri 12-2 in Sunday's win, marking the program's largest hit differential in a conference game this season.
When one competitive event ended, another began, as the bats State passed up and down the lineup in the series win, ended up in the hands of the first responders. Combined, the two departments launched more than 100 balls over the fence in less than half an hour.
"This man hit a softball farther than a softball should ever go," senior catcher Jessie Blaine remarked on social media following the event.
The home runs raining down at Nusz Park on Sunday signified more than just a fun day at the ballpark, however.
Hosting the First Responder Home Run Derby gave the program the opportunity to honor those who put their lives on the line to keep our community safe.
"It's always a fun event and we love watching it," Ricketts said. "I think it's such a unique thing, especially for us. The Starkville community is such a big part of our fan base, and particularly, the firefighters. They pull those fire trucks up quite often, and it's just so much fun when we look and see them out in the outfield cheering us on during the game. It just goes to show the support we get from the community of Starkville, and it's our way to give back to give them a chance to take some swings."
Like every competition, there must always be a winner, and for the fourth consecutive year, the firefighters took home the crown. For State and Starkville's first responders, it was see ball, hit ball on Sunday afternoon under the clear Mississippi skies.
"I thought we did a much better job of staying on the attack and knowing that if the pitch was going to be left over the middle of the plate, we weren't going to miss," Ricketts said. "I think that's when we're at our best is when we're a little bit more free and stay in an attack mindset."
With the Starkville police and firefighters anxiously awaiting their turn to slug homers and take home this year's First Responder Home Run Derby crown, the MSU softball program wanted to show them how it's done first.
"I thought we did a really good job, especially in the first, answering back after they took an early lead," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "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, is to be just a deep offensive lineup and not just rely on one hitter."
Securing 14 run-rule wins takes effort from everyone on the roster. That sentiment was proven tenfold in the series finale against the Tigers, as Morgan Bernardini, Morgan Stiles and Kiarra Sells all recorded homers in the contest. Sells recorded her first career multi-homer game.
Whether hitting first in the starting lineup or the nine hole, Sells has continued to believe in herself and her teammates regardless of the situation.
"I've just kind of been trusting the process of it all throughout this week," Sells said. "I'm kind of just trying to figure out what are some different ways that I can relax when I'm up to bat. I've been keeping that in a rotation in my head and you see the result."
Although there were plenty of first responders on standby, someone needed to call the bomb squad to handle State's explosive bats. The Bulldogs outhit Missouri 12-2 in Sunday's win, marking the program's largest hit differential in a conference game this season.
When one competitive event ended, another began, as the bats State passed up and down the lineup in the series win, ended up in the hands of the first responders. Combined, the two departments launched more than 100 balls over the fence in less than half an hour.
"This man hit a softball farther than a softball should ever go," senior catcher Jessie Blaine remarked on social media following the event.
The home runs raining down at Nusz Park on Sunday signified more than just a fun day at the ballpark, however.
Hosting the First Responder Home Run Derby gave the program the opportunity to honor those who put their lives on the line to keep our community safe.
"It's always a fun event and we love watching it," Ricketts said. "I think it's such a unique thing, especially for us. The Starkville community is such a big part of our fan base, and particularly, the firefighters. They pull those fire trucks up quite often, and it's just so much fun when we look and see them out in the outfield cheering us on during the game. It just goes to show the support we get from the community of Starkville, and it's our way to give back to give them a chance to take some swings."
Like every competition, there must always be a winner, and for the fourth consecutive year, the firefighters took home the crown. For State and Starkville's first responders, it was see ball, hit ball on Sunday afternoon under the clear Mississippi skies.
"I thought we did a much better job of staying on the attack and knowing that if the pitch was going to be left over the middle of the plate, we weren't going to miss," Ricketts said. "I think that's when we're at our best is when we're a little bit more free and stay in an attack mindset."
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
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