'Dogs Trudge Past No. 24 South Carolina, 11-10
Teams Combine For 24 Hits, 21 Runs, 330 Pitches
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Stacey Johnson's wild pitch on an intentional walk attempt in the bottom of the ninth brought Kate Jaspers across the plate with the winning run as Mississippi State (18-12, 1-2 SEC) scooted past 24th-ranked South Carolina (21-8, 4-2), 11-10, in extra frames Sunday afternoon at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
Three different players recorded multi-hit performances for the Bulldogs, with Jaspers paving the way on a 2-for-2 performance with three RBIs and three runs scored, including her first career home run in the bottom of the first. Jaspers also drew a pair of walks in the contest. Amber Curtis paced the Gamecocks on a 3-for-5 showing at the plate.
Starter Kasey Whitehead (10-7) made three appearances in the game, finally securing the victory in the final two innings after surrendering six runs on seven hits in three and one-thirds of an inning of work. Johnson, South Carolina's second relief pitcher of the contest, worked the final six and two-thirds, surrendering just one run on two hits, but saddled the loss for the Gamecocks. Both teams used three arms from its pitching staff and combined for 330 pitches in the ball game.
South Carolina lit up the scoreboard quickly, plating three runs on three hits off of Whitehead, before Wilkerson came on to retire the final three batters of the inning. State answered with a multi-run frame of its own in the bottom of the first, plating five runs on four hits, including Jaspers' towering three-run blast to rightfield.
Krystal Tillman's two-run homer in the bottom of the second gave the Bulldogs a four-run lead at 7-3, but South Carolina exploded in the top of the third, using Melissa Sandel's RBI groundout and Samantha Jennings' three-run blast to knot the score back up. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning, using a Tanelda McDonal's RBI single and a crucial throwing error by the shortstop Curtis to score three runs and take a 10-7 lead into the fourth.
After a pair of scoreless innings, South Carolina chipped away at State's lead with pinch hitter Tia Rogers' RBI double in the sixth, then tied the score in the top of the seventh on Jennings' two-run double to rightfield.
Both teams stranded runners in scoring position in the eighth, before Mississippi State used a leadoff walk, an RBI groundout and a wild pitch to move Jaspers 60 feet away with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
Mississippi State will return to action Tuesday evening when the Bulldogs travel to Baton Rouge, La., to begin a three-game series with the conference leading LSU Tigers (19-6, 4-1). First pitch of Tuesday's doubleheader is set for 6 p.m., with Wednesday's series finale slated with a 4 p.m. start time.
Mississippi State 11, #24 South Carolina 10 (9 Innings)
South Carolina 304 001 200 - 10 13 1 Mississippi State 523 000 001 - 11 11 1Matthews, A. Johnson (2), S. Johnson (3) and Quinones; Whitehead (1,2,8), Wilkerson (1,4), Massey (3) and Waterman. W - Whitehead (10-7). L - S. Johnson (6-4). Save - None. 2B: USC * Curtis 2, Jennings 2, Rogers; MSU * McMichael, Brown, Jessup. HR: USC * Jennings; MSU * Jaspers, Tillman. Time * 2:59. Att. * 338.