Mississippi State
13-14, 3-2
Arkansas
9-18, 0-6
Vry, Smith Lead MSU to 3-0 Win Against Arkansas in Series Opener
March 18, 2011 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Kylie Vry tossed a four-hit shutout, and Ka'ili Smith drove in all three of Mississippi State's runs as the Bulldog softball team defeated Arkansas 3-0 Friday afternoon in the opening game of a three-game Southeastern Conference series at the MSU Softball Field.
Vry, a sophomore, went the distance and struck out eight to improve her record to 5-7 on the season. Smith went 3-for-3 at the plate and drew a bases-loaded walk that made her the 10th player in program history to reach 100 RBI in a career.
"I knew I had to bounce back after Florida," Smith, a Kapolei, Hawaii, native said. "I just wanted to find a gap and help us get a win going into the rest of the series."
The win improved State to 13-14 overall and 3-2 in the SEC. The Dawgs attempt to clinch the series win at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
"It was a big win for us. Our team was kind of down after the Florida series, so we needed a win like this to spark us. Kylie threw a whale of a game, and Ka'ili came through with some big RBI," MSU head coach Jay Miller said. "We had runners in scoring position every time she came up, and she drove them in every time. We left a lot of runners out there that we didn't take advantage of and score, but overall it was a great win for our ballclub."
Vry faced early trouble in the top of the first as Arkansas (9-18, 0-6 SEC) got a leadoff single by Becca Carden. She stole second and moved to third on a Linnea Ketcher ground out, but the Bulldogs' hurler avoided an early deficit as she got a strikeout and a fly ball to end the inning.
"I felt really good out there today. I got ahead in the count a lot, and my teammates did a nice job backing them up," Vry said. "It was great to come out strong. Everyone wanted this win, and it was great to get it."
Smith plated what would prove to be the winning run in the bottom of the third. Senior Ali Bainbridge opened the frame with her team-best 10th double of the season. Freshman Heidi Shape advanced her to third with a sacrifice bunt, and Smith put the Dawgs up 1-0 as she bounced a single up the middle.
That run was the only one surrendered by UA starter Layne McGuirt, who fell to 2-6 after allowing four hits in 2.1 innings. Kim Jones tossed the final 3.2 innings, and MSU touched her for a run in the fifth and another in the sixth.
Shape sparked the Dawgs' run-scoring fifth as she was hit by a pitch with one out. The Duluth, Ga., native stole second, and Smith once again found the gap up the middle to bring her home and extend the MSU advantage to 2-0.
In State's next at-bat, freshman Sam Lenahan singled into center field. Brittany Gates followed with a base hit two batters later, and Bainbridge walked to load the bases.
Following a strikeout, Smith recorded her 100th RBI as she drew a two-out walk to score Lenahan with the Dawgs' third run.
An error and a pinch-hit single by Jessica Robison in the seventh brought the tying run to the plate for the Razorbacks, but Vry got Amanda Geile to hit a pop-up to Chelsea Raines at third to clinch the win.
Mississippi State 3, Arkansas
0 (Mar 18, 2011 at Starkville,
Miss.)
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Arkansas............ 000 000 0 - 0 4 0 (9-18, 0-6 SEC)
Mississippi State... 001 011 X - 3 8 1 (13-14, 3-2 SEC)
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Pitchers: Arkansas - Layne McGuirt; Kim Jones(3) and Jayme Gee. Mississippi State - Kylie Vry
and Sam Lenahan.
Win-Kylie Vry(5-7) Loss-Layne McGuirt(2-6) T-1:58 A-219
Weather: 77 degrees, sunny
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Vry, Kylie (5-7)
L: Layne McGuirt (2-6)
Base Running:
SB: Becca Carden 1
Batting:
2B: Bainbridge, Ali 1 ; Lenahan, Sam 1
RBI: Smith, Ka'ili 3
SH: Shape, Heidi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bainbridge, Ali 1 ; Shape, Heidi 1 ; Lenahan, Sam 1
SB: Shape, Heidi 1
CS: Bell, Briana 1
HBP: Shape, Heidi 1
