Bulldogs Fall In Doubleheader To No. 13 Texas A&M

Saturday, March 16

Starkville

12:00 PM

Mississippi State

20-5, 2-2

#13 Texas A&M

24-2, 4-0

Texas A&M

Mississippi State

Bulldogs Fall In Doubleheader To No. 13 Texas A&M

March 16, 2024 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score (PDF)Game 2 Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

By: Brian Ogden, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – No. 21/21 Mississippi State dropped both ends of a Saturday doubleheader to No. 13 Texas A&M, falling by scores of 9-0, in five innings, and 8-5.

A pair of big innings proved to be the difference in both games. The Aggies (25-2. 5-0 SEC) scored seven runs in the second inning of Game 1 and never trailed in that contest. They scored five in the fifth inning of Game 2.

"I think with both games, we definitely didn't come out with our best. It didn't seem like the team we have seen for the first half of the season for us," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "Against a good team like that, they are going to take advantage of it, and they really did. We have to play a lot better in all three phases. We've got to attack better on the mound. We have to make plays behind our pitchers and not give up as many bases as we did. We need timely hitting and more complete at-bats. I feel like at the end of Game 2, we started to look like ourselves in the box."

In Game 2, after falling behind by two runs, MSU (20-6, 2-3 SEC) responded with a bases-loaded single from Sierra Sacco to score Jessie Blaine in the third. State nearly tied the game in that frame, but saw a runner thrown out at the plate on a would-be sacrifice fly. In the fifth, Texas A&M took control of the game with the help of a three-run homer in their second big inning of the day.

State added one more run in the bottom of the fifth before Madisyn Kennedy came through twice, driving a solo homer in the sixth and plating two with two outs in the seventh, but ultimately the Bulldogs left the tying run at the plate.

Aspen Wesley tossed 1.2 innings in the first game of the day before Matalasi Faapito went the rest of the way. Josey Marron threw the entire second game for her fifth complete game of the season.

"The beauty of our sport is that it's a long season. We get a chance come right back tomorrow, but there were definitely some things that exposed us for us to clean up and come back and get ready to just play our game tomorrow. We just never really looked like ourselves or settled in today."

Quotables

Samantha Ricketts on Madisyn Kennedy hitting another home run…
"Yeah, we definitely need a little bit more complete at-bats. She's been swinging a hot bat for us for a while, but it's going to take more than one player. I think we have the offense to do it. Good job to the bottom of the order for turning it over, but we've got to have some production one through nine. It's just more competitive at-bats to really stay in the game and make it a little closer early on."

Quick Hitters

The Friendly Confines – State saw 1,176 fans in attendance on Saturday, marking the No. 15 attendance in Nusz Park history.

Beginner Base Hits – Ella Wesolowski and Salen Hawkins entered the weekend among the SEC's top five freshmen in batting average … they provided both of State's hits in Game 1 … Kylee Edwards singled in Game 2, giving all three freshman starters a single on the day.

Nadia Barbary – Singled home a run in Game 2.

Kylee Edwards – Collected her sixth multi-hit game of the year in Game 2 … also walked.

Madisyn Kennedy – Hit her 10th home run of the season in Game 2 … now boasts 33 for her career … eight of her last 11 hits have been home runs … has hit six home runs since last Saturday (six games) … has reached base safely in a career-best 13 games, which is tied for the longest streak by a Bulldog this year … collected her team-leading seventh multi-RBI game of the season.

Sierra Sacco – Drove in a run with a single in Game 2 … also walked … walked once in Game 1.

Ella Wesolowski – Extended her hitting streak to a career-long six games in Game 1 … ran her reached-base streak to 10 games, the fourth 10-plus-game streak by a Bulldog this year.

Game 1 Scoring Recap

Top 2
Allie Enright walked to open the frame before Rylen Wiggins hit a two-run homer to left. Kennedy Powell beat out a single to the pitcher. Koko Wooley doubled to right center, advancing to third on the throw and sending Powell home where she was ruled safe on review. Jazmine Hill reached first on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on the throw to the plate that checked Hill at third. Trinity Cannon walked to load the bases. Julia Cottrill reached first on a fielder's choice as Hill was thrown out at the plate. Aiyana Coleman doubled to right field, scoring all three runners. Scout Lovell entered to pinch run for Coleman. Enright singled up the middle and advanced on the throw, as Lovell scored.
No. 13 Texas A&M 7, No. 21 Mississippi State 0

Top 3
Kramer Eschete reached on an error by the first baseman, who dropped the throw, and stole second. Powell walked, then both runners advanced on a passed ball. Hill grounded out to second, allowing Eschete to score.
No. 13 Texas A&M 8, No. 21 Mississippi State 0

Top 4
Cottrill singled up the middle to open the frame, and Hailey Golden pinch ran at first. Coleman walked allowing Golden to advance to second. Enright singled through the right side, allowing Golden to score and advancing Coleman to second.
No. 13 Texas A&M 9, No. 21 Mississippi State 0

Game 2 Scoring Recap

Top 1
Koko Wooley was hit by the game's first pitch. Jazmine Hill grounded out to second, advancing Wooley. Trinity Cannon walked. Julia Cottrill flied out to right field, advancing Cannon to second and Wooley to third, but the throw from the outfield bounced away and Wooley scored off the throwing error.
No. 13 Texas A&M 1, No. 21 Mississippi State 0

Top 3
Wooley and Hill opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Cannon grounded out, advancing Hill to second and Wooley to third. Wooley then stole home on the throw back to the pitcher.
No. 13 Texas A&M 2, No. 21 Mississippi State 0

Bottom 3
Jessie Blaine was hit by pitch, and Kylee Edwards singled to right field, allowing Blaine to advance to second. Brylie St. Clair beat out a bunt to the catcher to load the bases. Sierra Sacco singled up the middle, scoring Blaine.
No. 13 Texas A&M 2, No. 21 Mississippi State 1

Top 5
Kennedy Powell singled to left center off the inning's first pitch. Wooley singled through the left side, advancing Powell to second. Hill lined out to center field, moving Powell to third. Wooley stole second and Powell reached home on a throwing error by the catcher. Wooley advanced to third on the error. Cannon singled through the left side, scoring Wooley. Hailey Golden pinch ran for Cannon, and Mya Perez delivered a pinch-hit single up the middle, advancing her to third. Allie Enright hit a three-run homer to right-center field.
No. 13 Texas A&M 7, No. 21 Mississippi State 1

Bottom 5
With one out, Edwards walked. St. Clair reached base on a fielder's choice, with Edwards out at second. Sacco walked, advancing St. Clair to second. Nadia Barbary singled through the right side, scoring St. Clair.
No. 13 Texas A&M 7, No. 21 Mississippi State 2

Top 6
Wooley singled up the middle, then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Hill singled to the pitcher, allowing Wooley to score.
No. 13 Texas A&M 8, No. 21 Mississippi State 2

Bottom 6
Madisyn Kennedy hit a leadoff homer to center field.
No. 13 Texas A&M 8, No. 21 Mississippi State 3

Bottom 7
Edwards singled through the left side to open the frame. Matalasi Faapito pinch hit for St. Clair, and reached on a fielder's choice, while Edwards advanced to second when the first baseman lost control of the ball on transfer. St. Clair re-entered to run for Faapito at first. Sacco walked to load the bases. With two outs, Kennedy singled up the middle, scoring Edwards and St. Clair.
No. 13 Texas A&M 8, No. 21 Mississippi State 5

Next Up

The series finale is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Sunday on SEC Network+.

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