State Rallies Then Gets Rained Out On Day One In California

Friday, March 11

Long Beach, Calif.

1:30 PM

Mississippi State

18-3

UC Santa Barbara

13-10

UC Santa Barbara

Miss State

State Rallies Then Gets Rained Out On Day One In California

March 11, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Having opened its first day at the Louisville Slugger Invitational with a comeback win, the Mississippi State softball team (18-3) was unable to keep the momentum as rain canceled its second game Friday.

After being unable to capitalize early on against UC Santa Barbara (13-10), the flood gates opened for MSU in the sixth as four runs on four hits and an error allowed the Bulldogs took the lead and held on for the 5-2 victory.

Senior Loryn Nichols (2-for-2) and juniors Katie Anne Bailey (2-for-2) and Mackenzie Toler (3-for-4) led the MSU offense in game one as each had multiple-hit performances. Toler led the Bulldogs with three hits, while Bailey led MSU with two runs batted in.

The Bulldogs looked to ride that energy, but weather cut short that hope before one inning was completed against No. 14 UCLA (13-8) in game two.

“It took us a bit to get started today, however we did what it took to come away with a win,” head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “Olivia (Golden) came up big with the pinch hit go-ahead RBI.”

GAME ONE: MSU 6, UC Santa Barbara 2
Both sides exchanged leadoff singles in the first frame but nothing more as the defenses used ground ball and fly ball outs to limit the threat.

In the second inning, the Bulldogs loaded the bases immediately on a base hit, hit by pitch and walk. Back-to-back strikeouts from Gauchos pitcher Ashley Ludlow put a damper on the MSU scoring threat, but when an inside pitch caught Bailey's elbow, Toler scored from third to put their side on top 1-0.

UCSB answered immediately courtesy of a two-run double with two outs to put the Gauchos ahead 2-1 midway through the third.

The Bulldogs started the sixth with back-to-back bunt singles from freshman Kat Moore and Nichols. Junior Amanda Ivy set the table with a sacrifice bunt that allowed Moore and Nichols to move into scoring position. With one out, Bailey stepped to the plate and delivered a single up the middle, scoring Moore from third and tying the game.

Redshirt sophomore Olivia Golden entered in a pinch hit role and provided an RBI groundout that put the Bulldogs ahead for the first time since the second inning. A throwing error committed by the Gauchos allowed senior Kayla Winkfield to get all the way to second and Bailey to come around to score and bring the score to 4-2.

A single to center field off the bat of junior Caroline Seitz scored Winkfield and capped the four-run sixth inning for State as they held a 5-2 advantage.

Sophomore Holly Ward (8-1) picked up the win in relief of freshman Cori Cooper. Ward allowed just two hits in 4.0 innings and struck out one. Ludlow (4-3) suffered the loss as she allowed all five Bulldog runs on nine hits in the complete-game effort.

GAME TWO: No. 14 UCLA 0, MSU 0
State threatened in the top of the first, but was unable to bring any across. Junior Alexis Silkwood got the start in the circle for the Bulldogs and with two outs and a 3-2 count in the bottom of the first, the skies opened and the field was cleared.

Both State and UCLA will work to see if a make-up date and time can be agreed upon before the Bulldogs head back to Starkville.

The Bulldogs will turn around and play two games Saturday against Cal State Fullerton (1 p.m. CT) and Long Beach State (6 p.m. CT), weather pending. Both contests will be available for listening through HailStatePLUS as the voice of Bulldog softball, Anthony Craven, will have the call. Fans can also keep up by following the Bulldogs on Twitter (@HailStateSB).

For more information on the MSU softball program, follow “HailStateSB” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also find all-access coverage of the Bulldogs on SnapChat by searching for “HailStateSnap.”