'Dogs Throttle Temple To Qualify For Championship Bracket
No. 23 State Moves On To Face Florida International In First Round PLANT CITY, Fla. -- Mississippi State (16-9) scored three runs in the third and fourth innings to rally behind a strong outing from starter Kasey Whitehead to clinch a berth in the championship bracket of the Speedline Invitational with a 6-0 rout of Temple 7-10) Saturday afternoon in Plant City, Fla. Iyhia McMichael turned in a career-high four RBIs on a 2-for-2 showing at the plate with a pair of doubles and two walks. Kellie Wilkerson also turned in a multi-hit performance for the Bulldogs, scoring a pair of runs on a 2-for-4 tally at the plate. Alexia Gary sparked the Owls on a 2-for-3 offensive showing. Whitehead struck out five and allowed just three hits over a complete game to record her second shutout of the campaign, turning in no-hit ball through the first four and one-thirds innings of the ballgame. Bari Lynn Pflueger (2-2) took the loss for Temple, surrendering three earned runs on six hits. After a slow start, Mississippi State finally got its bats going in the third, sending nine batters to the plate in a three-run frame which was highlighted by a McMichael's two-run double to the gap in left centerfield. The Bulldogs plated three more runs in the sixth, utilizing McMichael's second two-run double of the contest, to run away with the ballgame. Temple got its first hit of the ballgame with one out in the fifth and never posed a real threat to Whitehead's shutout. With the victory, the Bulldogs will now move on to single-elimination bracket play at the Speedline and will face Florida International (19-15) in the opening round. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. CT.
#23 Mississippi State 6, Temple 0Mississippi State 003 003 0 - 6 8 1 Temple 000 000 0 - 0 3 2 Whitehead and Waterman; Pflueger, Naughton (4) and Gary.W - Whitehead (9-6). L - Pflueger (2-2). Save - None.2B: MSU - McMichael 2 (6).