No. 10 Georgia Wins Series With 9-0 Rout Of State In Game Three
Red And Black Get Seven Runs In Fourth, 11 Strikeouts From Green
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Tenth-ranked Georgia (26-4, 5-1 SEC) put together a seven-run seventh inning and coasted for much of the game as the SEC Eastern Division-leading Bulldogs took its series with Mississippi State (20-10, 2-4) with a 9-0 victory in the rubber match of the set Sunday afternoon at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
Shortstop Jennifer Jessup and centerfielder Iyhia McMichael managed State's only hits of the game, both turning in a 1-for-2 performance at the plate. Jennifer Waterman walked once on a 0-for-1 tally with an intentional walk in the first.
Third baseman Jade Jarvis (3-for-3, 2 RBI, R) and Michelle Green (2-for-2, BB, HR, 2 RBI) turned in perfect hitting days at the plate for Georgia. Georgia centerfielder Nicole Barber, who turned in a paltry 1-for-6 showing in the first two games of the series on Saturday, hit a two-run homer and scored a pair of runs to highlight a 1-for-3 day for the Red and Black.
MSU starter Melissa Massey (13-3), who posted a shutout of the visitors in game two of the series, was not nearly as productive this time around, allowing nine earned runs on eight hits to saddle the loss for the 'Dogs. Green (16-2) had no trouble with the Mississippi State batting order, allowing just two hits and walking one in five innings of work, including striking out the sides in the second and fourth innings.
"We didn't get hitting or pitching today," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "We wasted away a chance in the first by leaving the bat on our shoulder on a called third strike on a run-scoring opportunity, then struggled after that. We had trouble keeping up with them after that first inning."
State looked to be in business immediately, juicing the bases with one out in the first, but Green settled down from her slow start and struck out Blaire Brown and Callye Williams to slam the door. Georgia put together its first scoring chance in the third, getting a leadoff double from Jarvis and a two-run homer from Barber to take a 2-0 advantage into the fourth.
Green homered with Georgia's first at-bat to extend the lead out to 3-0, then Georgia put its next to runners aboard via a single from McKeon and a hit batsman to set the table for Jarvis, who laced a seeing-eye single down the rightfield line to up Georgia's lead to 5-0. A two-run single from Ashley Godfrey and consecutive singles by Kim Wendland and Green, respectively, closed out the game scoring.
Mississippi State will return to action on Wednesday when the Bulldogs close out a five-game homestand by hosting a doubleheader with Birmingham Southern. First pitch of the twinbill is set for 5 p.m. at the Mississippi State Softball Field and admission is free.
NO. 10 GEORGIA 9, MISSISSIPPI STATE 0 (5 Innings)
Georgia 002 70 -- 9 11 0Mississippi State 000 00 -- 0 2 0
Green and McKeon; Massey, Owens (5) and Waterman. W -- Green (16-2). L -- Massey (13-3). Save -- None. HR -- UGA, Barber, Green.