Mississippi State
24-21, 3-13
#1 Florida
43-3, 13-3
State Unable To Overcome Hot Start By No. 1 Florida
April 22, 2016 | Softball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A hot start was too much for the Mississippi State softball team (24-21, 3-13 SEC) to overcome in its Southeastern Conference series-opener with No. 1 Florida (43-3, 13-3 SEC) Friday night.
The first two and a half innings at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium saw seven runs and two rain delays totaling 73 minutes. The next couple innings saw more runs scored, but unfortunately for the Bulldogs they all came from the Gators as the back-to-back national champions won 16-0 in five innings.
“Tonight was tough, but the game has no memory,” head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “We will need to get after it tomorrow.”
With one out and one runner on in the bottom of the first, the Gators got a long ball to jump out front 2-0. The frame would continue as a trio of two-out hits plated three more, giving UF a 5-0 advantage. After an eight-minute rain delay, the back-to-back national champions got another two-run homer to push the score to 7-0.
The next inning and a half saw base runners, but nothing more until the skies opened and the tarp came onto the field for the second rain delay of the game. UF came out of the 65-minute delay swinging for a five-run third inning with a pair of home runs to go ahead 12-0.
The Gators didn't stop there as three more runs came across on four hits and a walk to push the score to 15-0, a mark that would be the final score in five innings as State fell victim to a run-rule defeat.
Delanie Gourley (14-2) recorded the complete-game shutout for the Gators by striking out four, walking three and allowing no hits in 5.0 innings. The no-hitter marked the first against the Bulldogs since March 7, 2014 vs. Kentucky.
Junior Mackenzie Toler (0-2) suffered the loss in her first start of the season, allowing six runs on five hits and a walk in 0.2 innings pitched. Freshman Cori Cooper relieved Toler and tossed the final 4.1 innings.
Saturday's game two between the Bulldogs and Gators is set to begin at 1:04 p.m. ET / 12:04 p.m. CT and will air on SEC Network+.
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.”
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Delanie Gourley (14-2)
L: Toler, Mackenzie (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Janell Wheaton 1 ; Aubree Munro 1
HR: Kayli Kvistad 2 ; Nicole DeWitt 1 ; Taylore Fuller 1
RBI: Kelsey Stewart 1 ; Amanda Lorenz 1 ; Kayli Kvistad 5 ; Kirsti Merritt 1 ; Nicole DeWitt 2 ; Brooke Clemens 1 ; Janell Wheaton 1 ; Aubree Munro 1 ; Justine McLean 1 ; Taylore Fuller 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Kelsey Stewart 1 ; Amanda Lorenz 1 ; Lily Mann 1 ; Kayli Kvistad 2 ; Kirsti Merritt 1 ; Nicole DeWitt 2 ; Janell Wheaton 1 ; Aubree Munro 2 ; Justine McLean 3 ; Taylore Fuller 2
HBP: Kirsti Merritt 1
