'Dogs Rally Both Times, But Drop A Pair To 15th-Ranked Alabama
Official Game 2 Statistics
State Collects 14 Hits On Day, But 'Bama Extends Win Streak Over MSU To 11 Games STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The 15th-ranked Alabama softball team (40-13, 19-4 SEC) put together a pair of three run innings, then held back a late rally by homestanding Mississippi State (30-23, 10-12), to finish off a doubleheader sweep of the Bulldogs with an 8-4 victory late Saturday afternoon at the Mississippi State Softball Field. Krystal Tillman plated an RBI and extended her hitting streak to a season-long seven games to pace the Bulldog attack, with Kellie Wilkerson reaching base a trio of times on a 1-for-2 tally with a pair of walks. Emily Currie (3-for-4) and Capper Reed (1-for-3) plated a pair of RBIs for the Crimson Tide, with Ashley Courtney adding an RBI on a 3-for-4 clip. Mississippi State starter Melissa Massey (5-11) surrendered six runs on four Alabama hits in four and one thirds innings of work to saddle the loss for the Bulldogs, with Tillman and Wilkerson also both seeing time in the circle. Erin Wright (11-3), who allowed just one hit in a 4-0 victory over State earlier this season, allowed a pair of earned runs on seven Maroon and White hits in the victory. Despite going down in order in the opening frame of the contest, Alabama lit up the scoreboard first on Currie's RBI single down the leftfield line. The Crimson Tide extended their lead out to 4-0 in the third, utilizing two Bulldog errors and a pair of hits to plate three more runs. The Crimson Tide then loaded the bases with its first three at-bats in the fifth to threaten again, then scored three more runs on Currie's single to left field and Reed's two-run single up the middle to push the visitor lead out to seven. A Jennifer Waterman leadoff single and a throwing error by Wright put two runners on for the 'Dogs and the fifth and sparked a three-run rally by the hosts. Jennifer Jessup's RBI single put the first run of the game for the Bulldogs up on the board and Tillman's RBI single through the left side brought home Faith Robinson from third base. Iyhia McMichael's single up the middle two batters later brought Tillman across the plate. Courtney's RBI single up the middle in the sixth extended the Alabama lead back to five, but State added another run in the seventh on a leadoff triple by Tillman and a wild pitch from Wright. In the opener of the twinbill, Alabama erupted for 10 runs on 14 hits to ward off a shaky performance from starter Shelley Laird as the Crimson Tide extended its winning streak against the Bulldogs to 10 games with a 10-4 victory. Lindsay Nelson collected a career high four RBIs on a 2-for-4 performance for the Bulldogs, with Tillman adding a pair of hits on a 2-for-4 showing with a run scored. Alabama got a pair of three-hit showings from Suzanne Olcott (3-for-4, BB) and Jackie McClain (3-for-5, K), with McClain adding a trio of RBIs. Mississippi State starter Kasey Whitehead (18-10) allowed eight earned runs on 13 Alabama hits through six and one-thirds innings of work to take the loss, with Wilkerson holding Alabama to one hit in two-thirds innings of work. Laird (22-7) allowed four runs on seven Maroon and White hits in the victory. Alabama launched itself out of the gates early, loading the bases with its first three at-bats of the ballgame, before Jackie Wilkins' RBI single with the next at-bat helped the visitors scratch the scoreboard. The Crimson Tide added two more runs in both the third and fourth innings, before State lit up its half of the scoreboard on Nelson's RBI single in the bottom of the fourth. The Crimson Tide got five more hits in the fifth to push its lead out to 9-1, but MSU rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning to ward off the mercy rule. State got its first two batters of the inning on via singles up the middle, then loaded the bases with two outs to set the table for Lindsay Nelson, who laced a base-clearing double to left centerfield to cut 'Bama's lead to 9-4. Leah White's RBI single with two outs in the top of sixth provided an insurance run for the visitors. Mississippi State and Alabama will return to action Sunday when the two squads meet up in the series finale at the Mississippi State Softball Field. First pitch of the contest is set for 1 p.m. and can be followed via this live stats link.GAME 1 - #15 Alabama 10, Mississippi State 4Alabama 102 241 0 -- 10 14 2 Mississippi State 000 130 0 -- 4 7 4 Laird and Prejean; Whitehead (1,5), Wilkerson (4)and Mosley (4), Waterman (5). W - Laird (22-7).L - Whitehead (18-10). Save - None. 2B - UA,McClain, Courtney. 2B - MSU, L. Nelson.HR - UA, Wilkins.GAME 2 - #15 Alabama 8, Mississippi State 4Alabama 013 031 0 -- 8 9 2 Mississippi State 000 030 1 -- 4 7 3E. Wright and Prejean; Massey, Tillman (5), Wilkerson (6)and Brown, Mosley (5). W - E. Wright (11-3).L - Massey (5-11). Save - None. 3B - MSU, Tillman.2B - UA, McClain.