Bulldogs see rally fall short at SEC Tournament

For Starkville Daily News

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Eleventh-seeded Mississippi State brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh, but the rally fell short as three-seeded South Carolina held on for a 3-1 win in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Championship Tournament Thursday at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.

The Bulldogs (36-21) picked up four hits in the contest led by senior Carmen Carter, who went 2-for-3 and drove in the lone MSU run of the game.

Senior Holly Ward (15-7) earned the start in the circle, allowing three runs off four hits and one walk. The right-hander struck out two in the game. Senior Cassady Knudsen tossed an inning of relief, forcing two ground outs and a fly out in the sixth to leave a Gamecock runner stranded in scoring position.

The Bulldogs got a runner on base in the first three innings with MSU’s best scoring chance in the early innings coming in the top of the first. Junior Emily Heimberger led off the game with a hit by pitch before swiping

verines showed for seven frames.

“I hope it pumps our guys up a bit,” Johnson said. “We struggled the whole night and didn’t play very well, but we hung around. I feel like we kind of stole one at the end. Sometimes you have to have some breaks and we made some for ourselves.”

East Webster did have nine hits in the game led by Sloan Hillhouse’s 3-for-4 night with his two RBI single providing the most crucial at-bat of the game. Jon Austin Roberts finished 2-for-4, but the Wolverines left 11 runners on the bases.

McCarter was the real hero of the game. The pitcher threw a complete seven innings with four hits and three runs. The most damage was done in the third when the Urchins scored three runs to take a 3-1 lead they carried all the way into the seventh. McCarter struck out five batters in the win.

The two teams will play game two at Cumberland tonight at 7 p.m. as the Wolverines go for the series win and a trip to the state title series. East Union is trying to keep hope alive for a third-straight state championship.