Entire Staff Sees Time In Victory Over Penn State

Tuesday, March 8

Starkville

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

17-3

Penn State

9-11

Penn State

Mississippi State

Entire Staff Sees Time In Victory Over Penn State

March 09, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Behind every Bulldog pitching arm, the Mississippi State softball team (17-3) downed Penn State (9-11) Tuesday night at Nusz Park.

Multiple-hit performances from three Bulldogs helped State to a 9-3 win at home over the Nittany Lions. Junior Amanda Ivy led the way by going 3-for-3 on the night with three runs batted in and two runs scored.

“There are things we need to improve on and there are some things we are doing really well,” head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “We are playing incredible defense and our outfield is all over the place. Coach Tyler Bratton has done a great job with them and they have really bought in and believe in him.”

Getting the start in the circle for the Bulldogs was junior Alexis Silkwood, who with the help of the defense would retire the side in order for the first and second innings.

Junior Katie Anne Bailey quickly got the bats rolling for MSU with a leadoff single. Freshman Emily Heimberger's sacrifice bunt moved Bailey into scoring position. Following with an infield single, junior Caroline Seitz was able to score Bailey on the rushed throw to give State the first lead of the game 1-0.

The top of the third saw freshman Cori Cooper in the circle for MSU as she allowed zero hits or runs with one strikeout in her only inning of work.

Alert base running and back-to-back singles from Ivy and Bailey put runners on second and third with no outs. A wild pitch plated Ivy and a successful squeeze play from senior Winkfield scored Bailey to put the score at 3-0.

It was junior Mackenzie Toler's turn in the circle in the fourth as she allowed only one hit in the frame.

Penn State made its first pitching change it the fourth and a leadoff walk from freshman Kat Moore would set up the most successful inning for MSU. A two-run single by Ivy pushed the MSU advantage to five and the combination of an Ivy steal and a Nittany Lion error put State up 6-0. The final run of the inning would come on a dropped fly ball in right field, scoring Bailey and giving MSU a 7-0 lead.

Sophomore Cassady Knudsen took the circle for the Bulldogs in the top of the fifth and a strong inning from the visitors ended with the deficit cut to a 7-3 State lead.

MSU answered immediately with two runs of their own to go back up six and bring the score to 9-3 through five.

The sixth and seventh innings would see the remaining two MSU pitchers sophomore Holly Ward and freshman Regan Green, who with the help of the defense was able to hold Penn State at bay for a final score of 9-3 in favor of the Bulldogs.

Having been the most successful MSU pitcher on the night, Cori Cooper (3-0) collected the win, having been one of just two State pitchers to record a strikeout. Starter Marlaina Laubach (4-3) took the loss as she allowed three runs on five hits in 3.0 innings pitched.

Upcoming for State is a road trip out west for five games in Long Beach, California as part of the Louisville Slugger Invitational. The action will begin Friday, March 11 with a doubleheader against UC Santa Barbara (1:30 p.m. CT) and No. 14 UCLA (6:30 p.m. CT).

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.”