Alabama Takes Series Opener With 7-3 Victory Over State
McMichael Homers For Second-Straight Game, Bulldogs Strand 10
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Nationally-ranked and SEC-leading Alabama (35-14, 18-4 SEC) rallied for three multi-run innings and nixed a handful of scoring opportunities by visiting Mississippi State (29-19, 9-12) to defeat the Bulldogs, 7-3, in the opener of a three-game series Saturday afternoon at the Alabama Softball Complex.
Three different Mississippi State players recorded multi-hit showings to pace a nine-hit attack. Kate Jaspers drove in a run and scored once on a 1-for-4 tally, Jennifer Jessup scored once on a 2-for-3 showing and Lindsay Nelson added a pair of hits on three trips to the plate. All-American Iyhia McMichael homered for the second-straight game to highlight a 1-for-3 day at the plate. Alabama catcher Lacy Prejean tallied three RBI on a 2-for-3 performance to lead the Crimson Tide.
Mississippi State starter Courtney Frank (4-5) worked her fourth complete game of the season but took the loss after being plagued with four unearned runs. Alabama starter Erin Wright (16-5) surrendered nine hits and a trio of earned runs to the Bulldogs, but notched the victory on the strength of key outs at crucial points in the matchup.
The Crimson Tide used a pair of hits and a costly error by the Maroons in the opening frame to take a quick 2-0 lead, then extended the lead out to five in the third on a Stephanie VanBrakle RBI single and a two-run double from Prejean. State looked to answer the scoring barrage in the fourth, loading the bases with its first three batters of the inning, but was forced to settle with just a lone run on Blaire Brown's fielder's choice RBI.
After retiring Alabama in order in the fourth, State got a run closer in the fifth on Jaspers' run-scoring double, but Wright slammed the door on the rally, forcing the Bulldogs to strand its fifth and sixth runners of the contest. The Crimson Tide stretched its lead back out to five in the bottom half of the inning, scoring twice on a two hits and a pair of fielding errors to take a 7-2 lead into the sixth.
Mississippi State loaded the bases on a two-out walk and a pair of safeties in the sixth, but Wright recovered again, this time inducing Jennifer Nelson to ground out to third and end the threat. McMichael's solo homer in the seventh provided the final.
NO. 16 ALABAMA 7, MISSISSIPPI STATE 3
Mississippi State 000 110 1 -- 3 9 3Alabama 203 020 x -- 7 10 1
Frank and Brown; E. Wright and Prejean. W -- E. Wright (16-5). L -- Frank (4-5). Save -- None. 2B -- MSU, Jaspers. UA, Prejean, Reed. HR -- MSU, McMichael.