Bulldogs Cage Panthers In Five, 8-0
Waterman Connects On First Homer Of Season, McMichael Hits Ninth
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State (21-10) took a four-run lead after just three innings, then invoked the mercy rule with four more in the bottom of the fifth, to take the doubleheader opener from visiting Birmingham Southern (11-20) with a 8-0 victory in five innings Wednesday evening at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
Jennifer Waterman (1-for-3, 3 RBI) and Iyhia McMichael (1-for-1, 2 RBI, 3 R) each provided home runs to pace an eight-hit attack for the Maroon and White. Kate Jaspers (1-for-2, RBI, R) connected on her fourth triple of the campaign, with Jennifer Nelson scoring twice on a 2-for-3 night. Three other players recorded base hits for Mississippi State. Birmingham Southern rightfielder Dawn Treadwell turned in a perfect 2-for-2 hitting night for the Panthers.
Mississippi State starter Melissa Massey (14-3) scattered three hits and struck out four over her tenth complete game of the campaign to get the shutout win for the Bulldogs. Birmingham Southern starter Erin Haggard (2-6) allowed eight earned runs on eight Mississippi State hits and two walks to take the loss for the Panthers.
Jennifer Nelson got State going with a leadoff hit in the first, then moved to second on Jaspers? sacrifice hit before McMichael finished off the damage with a blast to straightaway centerfield that gave MSU a 2-0 lead. The Bulldogs got a RBI single from Madison native Tanelda McDonald in the second and a RBI groundout from Jennifer Jessup in the third to take a 4-0 lead before rallying for four more runs in the fifth.
Jennifer Nelson reached on a leadoff single in the fifth, then scored one batter later on Jaspers? triple down the rightfield line. McMichael walked on four-straight pitched to put runners on the corners and set the table for Waterman, who knocked a 1-2 offering from Haggard over the wall in centerfield.
| MISSISSIPPI STATE 8, BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN 0 (5 Innings) | |||||||
| Birmingham Southern | 000 | 00 | - | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Mississippi State | 211 | 04 | - | 8 | 8 | 0 | |
Haggard and Shelton; Massey and Waterman. W ? Massey (14-3). L ? Haggard (2-6). Save ? None. 3B MSU, Jaspers (4). HR MSU, McMichael (9), Waterman (1). SH MSU, Jaspers.