No. 13 Fresno State Ousts No. 24 State From Leadoff Classic, 3-1
Wilkerson Earns All-Tournament Accolades Despite Loss COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Thirteenth-ranked Fresno State (10-4) utilized a bevy of Mississippi State (10-5) errors to score three runs, then stuffed a late rally by the Maroon and White in the seventh inning, to oust the 24th-ranked Bulldogs, 3-1, Sunday morning at the NFCA Leadoff Classic Gold Bracket championship in Columbus, Ga. State got four hits on a 2-for-3 showing from Blaire Brown and a 2-for-4 tally from all-tournament team member Kellie Wilkerson. Kasey Whitehead logged the Bulldogs' only RBI on a 1-for-3 showing at the plate.Fresno State leadoff hitter Tiffany Whipple scored a pair of runs on a 2-for-4 tally at the plate to spark Fresno State. Despite taking the loss, State starter Melissa Massey (1-2) showed her grit against the perennial national power, scattering five hits and striking out three Fresno State hitters. The freshman from Fayetteville, Tenn., allowed just one earned run on the day. Fresno State starter Leslie Poole (1-1) scattered eight hits and struck out one to nab the victory. The five errors marked the second time in three games that the Maroon and White Bulldogs collected five miscues and pushed State's error total in the final three games of the tournament to 14. Fresno State's victory also knocked the Bulldogs from their first appearance in the Gold bracket of the nation's premier tournament. Fresno used two hits and a flurry of State errors to plate a pair of runs in the opening frame. Following a leadoff single by Tiffany Whipple to begin the game, Fresno put a runner in scoring position with the next at-bat on a sac hit by Vanessa Czarnecki. The Maroon and White looked to get the next batter out, but a throwing error by Massey allowed the runner to reach first. A wild pitch in the next at-bat allowed Whipple to cross the plate with the 1-0 lead for Fresno and Lori Hoffman?s RBI double plated Jamie Southern from second base with the 2-0 lead. State scratched back in the bottom of the frame, however, utilizing a pair of hard hits up the middle to plate a runner. Wilkerson led off the inning with a single up the middle, but was forced out two batters later on Iyhia McMichael?s fielder?s choice. Brown followed with a hard hit up the middle that advanced McMichael to third and Whitehead?s RBI single up the middle brought McMichael across the plate. Fresno pushed its lead back to two in the fourth on a pair of Mississippi State miscues. Whipple reached base on an errant throw by Massey with two outs then, on a stolen base attempt moments later, Brown's pickoff throw escaped the sophomore catcher's grip and was launched into right-centerfield, allowing Whipple to move to third. Southern's RBI single two batters later plated Whipple with the 3-1 advantage. Mississippi State will be back in action on Wednesday when the Bulldogs return home to host an afternoon twinbill against Oakland. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 3 p.m. at the Mississippi State Softball Field. Admission is free of charge.
#13 Fresno State 3, #24 Mississippi State 1Fresno State 200 100 0 - 3 5 1 Mississippi State 100 000 0 - 1 8 5 Poole and West; Massey and Brown. W - Poole (1-1).L - Massey (1-2). Save - None.