Mississippi State
7-10
#22 Texas A&M
14-6
MSU Softball Sweeps No. 22 Aggies, MVSU to Win Bulldog Classic Title
March 06, 2011 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Sophomore Kylie Vry struck out a career-high 12 in a 7-3 upset of No. 22 Texas A&M, and Lindsey Dunlap and Misty Flesher combined for a three-hit shutout as Mississippi State defeated Mississippi Valley State 8-0 and clinched the Bulldog Classic championship Sunday afternoon at the MSU Softball Field.
Flesher earned the win, her second of the season, in the nightcap after picking up her second save in State's tournament-opening win against the Aggies.
Senior Ali Bainbridge sparked the Bulldog offense, hitting .600 (3-for-5) with a double, a triple, an RBI and five runs scored to collect tournament MVP honors.
"It felt really good. These were some needed wins. We felt really confident in practice and got some kinks worked out," Bainbridge said. "I felt more confident at the plate, and I thought we did a better job this weekend."
Flesher and Vry both nabbed all-tournament honors along with freshman Briana Bell and senior Chelsea Raines. Bell hit .750 with a double, a home run and two RBI in the two wins, while Raines was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in helping Mississippi State improve to 8-10 on the season.
Vry tossed 6.2 innings in the opener, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits to run her record to 3-7 on the season. Flesher recorded the final out with the tying run at the plate to earn the save against the Aggies.
Vry's 12 strike outs were the most by a Bulldog since 2006 and tied for the fourth-most in single-game school history.
The Bulldogs came out swinging against the 22nd-ranked Aggies, recording three runs in the first off Texas A&M starter Mel Dumezich. Bainbridge opened the game with a single up the middle, one of two hits in the game for the Vestavia Hills, Ala., native.
She took second as she beat out the throw to second on a Heidi Shape ground ball. A Ka'ili Smith base hit, one of two in the game, loaded the bases, and Nesbit put the Dawgs on the scoreboard with a two-run bouncing single down the left-field line.
State went up 3-0 two batters later as Raines lined a single to right-center field.
The Aggies punched across a pair of runs in the fourth on an illegal pitch and a Dumezich single, but Mississippi State answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth.
With one away in the frame, Smith legged out an infield single while Shape, who reached on a fielder's choice, managed to take second.
A double steal moved the runners, and Shape scored as TAMU catcher Meagan May's throw got away from the third baseman. The Bulldogs pushed the lead to 5-0 as Sam Lenahan dropped a perfectly-placed squeeze bunt to score Smith.
State pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Bell put the Dawgs ahead 6-2 as she blasted her first career home run, a pinch-hit, solo shot to open the frame.
Bainbridge followed with a triple, and she scored immediately as Shape lined a single to right-center field.
Texas A&M tried to rally in the seventh, scoring a run and loading the bases to bring the tying run to the plate. Flesher, however, clinched the win as she got Kelsey Spittler to ground out to Shape at second.
Dumezich fell to 8-4 as she was touched for seven runs and 10 hits while striking out five.
"We really got some timely hitting. Ali did a good job getting on base and scoring some big runs," MSU head coach Jay Miller said. "Kylie and Misty threw lights out to give us a good quality win against Texas A&M, and we came out and finished it off in the second game to win the tournament."
In the nightcap, Flesher allowed just three hits and struck out four over four innings to improve to 2-1. Lindsey Dunlap started and went an inning, surrendering three walks.
"I felt really good and strong out there. I just went out there and tried to do what my team needed me to do," Flesher said.
State's offense gave the pitchers all the runs they would need with a four-run first inning.
Bainbridge was once again the catalyst, drawing a walk to open the game. A Shape sacrifice bunt moved her to second, and after taking third on a passed ball, she put MSU up 1-0 as she scored on an illegal pitch.
Walks to Smith and Lenahan brought Raines to the dish, and she ripped a double to left-center that cleared the bases and gave MSU a 3-0 advantage.
After Raines took third on an illegal pitch, Bell scored her with a double, one of two hits in the game for the Brandon, Fla., native.
State struck with two more runs in the second to go up 6-0. Bainbridge and Smith walked, and Lenahan, after getting another chance at the dish following an illegal pitch, cleared the bases with a double to the gap in right-center.
The Bulldogs put the exclamation point on the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Brittany Gates walked to get the Bulldogs started. Bainbridge, seeing the right fielder shaded into right-center, punched a double down the line that easily scored Gates from first.
Bainbridge stole third and scored the Dawgs' final run on a Shape sacrifice fly.
Kimberly Spivey suffered the loss for MVSU to fall to 3-6. She gave up all eight runs (seven earned) on five hits while walking nine.
Mississippi State looks to take the weekend's momentum into the Southeastern Conference opener against South Carolina on Wednesday. The two teams meet in a twinbill beginning at 4 p.m. at the MSU Softball Field
For fans unable to make it to the game, a free live audio stream will be available at www.msstateathletics.com/m2mlive.
Mississippi State 7, Texas
A&M 3 (Mar 06, 2011 at Starkville,
Miss.)
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Texas A&M........... 000 200 1 - 3 5 2 (14-6)
Mississippi State... 300 022 X - 7 10 2 (7-10)
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Pitchers: Texas A&M - Melissa Dumezich and Meagan May. Mississippi State - Kylie Vry;
Misty Flesher(7) and Sam Lenahan.
Win-Kylie Vry(3-7) Save-Misty Flesher(2) Loss-Melissa Dumezich(8-4) T-2:00 A-0
HR MS - Briana Bell (1).
Weather: Temps mid 50s, gusty winds
Mississippi State 8, Miss. Valley State 0 (Mar 06, 2011 at Starkville, Miss.)
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Miss. Valley State.. 000 00 - 0 3 0 (5-9)
Mississippi State... 422 0X - 8 5 0 (8-10)
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Pitchers: Miss. Valley State - SPIVEY,Kimberly and BURR,Nicole. Mississippi State -
Lindsey Dunlap; Misty Flesher(2) and Sam Lenahan.
Win-Misty Flesher(2-1) Loss-SPIVEY,Kimberly(3-6) T-1:36 A-155
L. Dunlap faced 2 batters in the 2nd.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Vry, Kylie (3-7)
L: Melissa Dumezich (8-4)
S: Flesher, Misty (2)
Batting:
RBI: Rhiannon Kliesing 1 ; Melissa Dumezich 1
SH: Amber Garza 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kaydee Rayburn 1 ; Lauren Schwirtlich 1 ; Emily Albus 1
SB: Natalie Villarreal 1 ; Cassie Tysarczyk 1
CS: Natalie Villarreal 1
Batting:
3B: Bainbridge, Ali 1
HR: Bell, Briana 1
RBI: Shape, Heidi 1 ; Nesbit, Courtney 2 ; Lenahan, Sam 1 ; Raines, Chelsea 1 ; Bell, Briana 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bainbridge, Ali 2 ; Shape, Heidi 2 ; Smith, Ka'ili 2 ; Bell, Briana 1
SB: Shape, Heidi 1 ; Smith, Ka'ili 1
