MSU stretches winning streak to nine games
Southeastern Conference softball is knocking on the door of the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
It’s important to the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs to get as many non-conference games under their belt as possible to be ready for the first SEC series at Missouri next weekend.
MSU has played 24 non-conference games so far and have two more next week before hitting the league grind.
On Sunday, the Bulldogs picked up two wins over UMass Lowell 9-1 and 11-0 at Nusz Park.
The weather almost prevented some of the weekend games to be played, but MSU left fielder Morgan Bell was glad to get every inning in.
“We are going to try and play the game no matter what,” Bell said. “We were just happy to get out here and have good quality games, good at-bats and get some good defense. We’re looking forward to this next week.”
With the sweep on Sunday, the Bulldogs stretched their winning streak to nine games and now have a 21-3 record this season.
Bell and Sarai Niu each delivered a two-run single as MSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the second game.
In the second inning, Mia Davidson crushed a two-run home run and the Bulldogs were off and running with a 6-0 advantage.
That enabled MSU coach Vann Stuedeman to get several reserves into the game who have not seen much playing time this season and said it was a “really fun” experience.
“It’s O’Neil’s (Robinson) birthday, Grace Dabbs had two hits and a great catch in the outfield, Candace Denis threw a great game in just her second start, Macey Petrey got in and hit a long fly ball, Carter (Spexarth) came in
the Bulldogs on the mound. The Wolverines got to him in the opening inning after he walked a batter and gave up a hit with one out. A single drove in a run for a 1-0 advantage to put the Bulldogs in a hole.
Billingsley settled in, however, with four-straight scoreless innings. That gave State enough time to get the bats going.
Tied at 1-1 in the fourth inning, they struck and it all came with two outs. It came from the bat of the Jordan, who hit the first home run out of the newly constructed Dudy Noble Field last Wednesday with his grand slam. This one drove in three runs as it cleared the fence in right center.
“It was good to get a lead,” Jordan said. “Playing with the lead is a lot easier. “It was a good at-bat and I slowed the game down a little bit.”
The Bulldogs added another run in the inning when Jake Mangum singled and stole second and then was brought home on Hunter Stovall’s base hit for the 5-1 lead.
Utah Valley cut into the lead in the sixth inning when Denver McQuary came in to pitch. The sophomore hurler gave up back-to-back doubles and then a one-out single that closed the lead to 5-3.
Cole Marsh, Zach Neff and J.P. France threw three
scoreless innings of relief with a couple of strikeouts. France earned his first save as a Bulldog.
Billingsley (2-0) had five innings of solid baseball giving up four hits, one earned run and four strikeouts with a walk. Henderson liked how the senior settled in as the game went.
“Jacob certainly wasn’t as sharp as he has been in his previous two starts, but I was proud of the way he battled,” Henderson said. “For him to
have one of those 70 percent outings and do what he did for us was good.”
Having won seven of the last eight games with conference looming, the Bulldogs (10-6) are looking to keep the hot streak going in the midweek.
MSU travels to Biloxi’s MGM Park on Wednesday for a match up with Southeastern Louisiana (11-6) at 6:30 p.m. before returning home for Southeastern Conference play against Vanderbilt.
Henderson said this is not the time for his freshmen sluggers to hit that imaginary wall and they’ll guard against the team overlooking the talented Southeastern Louisiana squad.
“We better be a month away from that wall,” Henderson said. “They should still be fresh and they’ll get a shot of adrenaline Friday night (against Vanderbilt). Before that we have to play well in Biloxi on Wednesday. We won’t be talking about Friday until after Wednesday.”