No. 17 Alabama Rallies To Top State, Clinch Series, 8-5
McMichael Hits First Career Grand Slam, Bulldogs Notch Ten Hits
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Conference-leading and No. 17-ranked Alabama (36-14, 19-4 SEC) erased a one-run deficit with a two-run homer in the sixth as the Crimson Tide clinched its series with visiting Mississippi State (29-20, 9-13) with a 8-5 victory over the Bulldogs in the second half of an afternoon twinbill Saturday at the Alabama Softball Complex.
Blaire Brown hit safely in three trips to the plate, Brooke Best scored once on a 2-for-4 tally and all-American Iyhia McMichael crushed her first career grand slam to highlight a 10-hit day for the Maroon and White at the plate. Jennifer Nelson stretched her career-long hitting streak to 16 games, scoring once on a 1-for-3 performance. Three different Alabama players recorded multi-hit, multi-RBI days for the Crimson Tide, with VanBrakle's heroics taking center stage.
Mississippi State starter Melissa Massey (19-8) worked all but one out of the game and scattered seven hits, but costly errors and a trio of walks saddled the righthander with her eighth loss of the campaign. VanBrakle (12-4), a current member of the U.S. Junior Women's National Team, managed 10 strikeouts, but was roughed up mightily by the Maroon and White offense before giving way to reliever Jennifer Wright in the sixth. Wright notched her first save of the season, striking out and walking one, in scoreless sixth and seventh innings.
Alabama utilized a hit and a fielding error by State to scrape together a first-inning run and take a quick 1-0 lead, but Mississippi State answered in the second, scoring Best from first on Brown's RBI double to the gap in right centerfield. The Crimson Tide put its leadoff runner on again in the bottom half of the inning via a two-base error, then used a wild pitch and a run-scoring double from Capper Reed to reclaim the lead, 2-1. A throwing error by the Maroons, coupled with a wild pitch and an Ashley Courtney double led to two more runs for the hosts and allowed 'Bama to take a 3-1 lead into the third.
Mississippi State got three-straight singles to lead off the third and set the table for McMichael, who hammered a 2-2 offering from VanBrakle over the wall in rightfield and give State its first lead of the day, 5-4. Alabama got a one-out double from all-American Jackie McClain and used VanBrakle's homer to take a 6-5 lead, then scored on a wild pitch with the bases juiced in the sixth to add the insurance run.
The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide will close out their three-game set Sunday afternoon when the squads return to the Alabama Softball Complex for the series finale at 1:30 p.m. Mississippi State will close out a nine-game roadtrip on Monday morning when the Maroon and White travels to Atlanta for an 11 a.m. twinbill at Georgia Tech.
NO. 16 ALABAMA 8, MISSISSIPPI STATE 5
Mississippi State 014 000 0 -- 5 10 4Alabama 130 031 x -- 8 7 1
Massey, Tillman (6) and Brown; VanBrakle, J. Wright (6) and Prejean. W -- VanBrakle (12-4). L -- Massey (19-8). Save -- J. Wright (1). 2B -- MSU, Brown 2. UA, Courtney, McClain, VanBrakle, Reed 2. HR -- MSU, McMichael (GS). UA, VanBrakle.