Bulldogs Fall To Top-Seeded Georgia, 3-0
MSU-South Carolina Live Statistics
Eighth-Seeded State Forced To Make Its Way Through Loser?s Bracket
PLANT CITY, Fla. -- Despite registering a paltry four hits, top-seeded and seventh-ranked Georgia (55-10) capitalized on a two-run homer in the first inning and held back a couple of scoring opportunities by eighth-seeded Mississippi State (33-27) to defeat the Maroon and White, 3-0, in the first round of the SEC Tournament Thursday evening in Plant City, Fla.
The Maroons got hits from five different players, including Jennifer Waterman who walked and singled in three trips to the plate. Lindsay Nelson registered a pinch-hit double in her only appearance of the evening. Georgia?s Kim Wendland highlighted a 1-for-2 night at the plate with a two-run four-bagger, while first team all-SEC outfielder Nicole Barber walked twice and scored once on a 1-for-1 hitting clip.
Melissa Massey (21-12) struck out three and threw just 93 pitches, but it was the 1-2 offering to Wendland that proved to be the difference in the contest. Georgia starter Kim Wendland (4-0) made the start with SEC Pitcher of the Year Michelle Green stuck in the stables with a broken right ring finger and held the MSU bats at bay, limiting the 'Dogs to just five hits and walking just one in four and two-thirds innings of work. UGA reliever Laurie Davidson surrendered just one hit over the final seven outs of the matchup to pick up her third save of the campaign.
MSU got something going immediately, putting a pair of runners aboard with one out in the first frame, but Urban settled down and induced Blaire Brown to groundout to second to shut the door. Massey surrendered a leadoff walk to SEC career stolen base leader Nicole Barber and the Red and Black moved the runner to third with its next at-bat before Wendland?s round-tripper.
Mississippi State put a runner into scoring position with one out in the fourth, but the pinchrunner Massey left early on an attempted tag up on a fly ball to rightfield to nix the threat. State got three more hits in the fifth, getting a pair of runners on base with two outs, but Davidson corraled a hard hit by Jennifer Nelson and made the easy throw to first base to again slam the door on a MSU rally.
Georgia got a leadoff single from Courtney Knight in the fifth, then added an insurance run with its next at-bat on Ashley Godfrey?s double through the left side.
Mississippi State will continue play in the 2003 SEC Tournament Friday afternoon when the Bulldogs begin their quest to advance through the loser?s bracket with a 2 p.m. EDT contest against fourth-seeded South Carolina (36-17). A Mississippi State victory would advance them through to Saturday against the loser of the winner?s bracket matchup between second-seeded Alabama and third-seeded LSU, while a loss by the Maroon and White would eliminate them from SEC Tournament contention.
NO. 7 GEORGIA 3, MISSISSIPPI STATE 0
#8 Seed Mississippi State 000 000 0 -- 0 6 0#1 Seed Georgia 200 010 x -- 3 4 1
Massey and Waterman; Urban, Davidson (5) and McKeon. W ? Urban (4-0). L ? Massey (21-12). Save ? Davidson (3). HR UGA, Wendland. 2B MSU, Waterman, L. Nelson.