Arkansas Takes Down Mississippi State In Series Opener, 5-1
Lady 'Backs Get First Victory In Starkville Since 1997
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Visiting Arkansas (21-29, 5-17) put together a three-run sixth inning to stretch its lead out to 4-0, then held off a pair of bases-loaded rallies by Mississippi State (30-23, 10-14) as the Razorbacks proved victorious in Starkville for the first time since March 29, 1997, with a 5-1 win in the series opener Friday evening at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
Jennifer Jessup (3-for-3) scored a run on a career high three-hit performance, while Kate Jaspers provided MSU's only other multi-hit outing, pounding out a pair of hits on four trips to the plate. Senior Jennifer Nelson extended her career-long hitting streak to 20 games on a 1-for-4 clip. Arkansas second baseman Blaire Woodward drove in a pair of runs on a 2-for-2 tally to pace the Lady 'Backs.
MSU starter Courtney Frank (5-6) showed dominance early, but was pegged with the loss after allowing five runs on nine Arkansas hits. Arkansas staff ace Heather Schlichtman (10-15) earned the victory for the visitors after scattering eight hits and allowing just one run over a complete game.
Arkansas scraped together a run in the fourth, getting a leadoff hit from Kim Eiben, then moving pinchrunner Allie Benish around to third on a sac bunt and a Julie Young groundout. Woodward's RBI single gave Arkansas a 1-0 lead heading into the fifth. Arkanas got a trio of RBI hits to extended their lead out to four, 4-0, in the sixth, before holding back a furious rally by the Bulldogs in the bottom of the frame.
The Lady 'Backs extended their lead out to 5-0 on Candice Swan's RBI single to centerfield in the top half of the seventh, but was forced to hold back a determined Maroon and White ballclub in the bottom of the inning. MSU loaded the bases with its first four batters of the seventh and scored its first run of the contest on a fielding error by UA shortstop Mindy O'Malley. However, with the tension surely on the side of the visitors, Schlichtman induced Iyhia McMichael into a game-ending double play to slam the door on the rally.
ARKANSAS 5, MISSISSIPPI STATE 1
Arkansas 000 103 1 -- 5 9 1Mississippi State 000 000 1 -- 1 8 1
Schlichtman and Easley; Frank and Brown. W - Schlichtman (10-15). L - Frank (5-6). Save - None. 2B - ARK, Eiben, Johnson. MSU Brown.