State Splits Friday Doubleheader At Nusz Park

Friday, March 4

Starkville

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

13-2

Chattanooga

12-6

Chattanooga

Mississippi State

State Splits Friday Doubleheader At Nusz Park

March 04, 2016 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Back at home to open a six-game home stay, the Mississippi State softball team (13-3) split its doubleheader on day one of the Bulldog Slamboree Friday at Nusz Park.

MSU opened with a 4-0 shutout victory over Chattanooga (12-6) before being shut out by Northwestern State (12-5) 1-0 to close the day for the Bulldogs.

Junior Katie Anne Bailey was the most successful hitter for State on the day as she went 3-for-4 with one walk and one run scored.

“In the middle of the first game I think we took the foot off of the gas pedal there. Pitching did very well in that game as a staff,” head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “In game two we just struggled a little bit. Offensively, we definitely hit some balls right at them so we just have to keep grinding those out and they'll fall for us.”

GAME ONE: MSU 4, Chattanooga 0
The Bulldogs got to work quickly as a fielding error allowed junior Caroline Seitz to score on a triple. A single from sophomore Calyn Adams brought junior Mackenzie Toler in from second as MSU opened up the game up with a 2-0 lead.

Bailey helped extend Mississippi State's lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth with her team-leading fifth double of the season as she later came around to score on a single from freshman Kat Moore.

Chattanooga forced starting pitcher Holly Ward out of the game in the top of the fifth as the Bulldogs brought in Toler to keep the Mocs off the board. Despite allowing a hit to advance the runners, Toler allowed no runs and struck out three to escape the inning unscathed.

The Bulldogs added a security run in the bottom of the sixth as sophomore Carmen Carter pinch ran for Adams and came across on a sacrifice groundout from junior Amanda Ivy, extending the MSU lead to 4-0.

Ward (6-1) struck out one and allowed just two hits in four shutout innings in the circle. Freshman Cori Cooper (1) pitched the final two innings of the game and struck out five of the seven batters she faced to earn her first save of the season. Kailey Palazzolo (4-3) suffered the loss as she allowed three Bulldog runs on nine hits.

As a team, MSU had 10 hits, the sixth time the Bulldogs have recorded double-digit hits this season, while the defense recorded no errors for the third time this season.

GAME TWO: Northwestern State 1, MSU 0
To begin the second game of the night, MSU kept Northwestern State in check through 2.2 innings until a single to left scored the game's first run.

MSU were hitless themselves for 4.1 innings if not for a Bailey single in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Amanda Ivy added the Bulldogs' only other hit in the sixth inning.

Not until the final out was recorded in the bottom of the seventh did either team know that one run would be enough to claim victory.

Despite freshman Regan Green's five inning performance in which she only allowed one run, the freshman suffered the loss and dropped to 3-2 on the year. Shelby Sells (4-3) collected the complete-game shutout for NSU and allowed just two hits on the evening.

MSU will return to the field at Nusz Park for two games on Saturday against Longwood (1 p.m. CT) and Central Arkansas (3:30 p.m. CT). Admission is free for all regular season contests at Nusz Park. Both games will air live on SEC Network+ via WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.

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.”