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Sate drops 1-0 decisionto Alabama at SEC tourney |
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Friday, 09 May 2008 |
For the SDN
BATON ROUGE, La. – Brittany Rogers’ walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh broke up a stellar outing from Mississippi State freshman Misty Flesher as third-ranked Alabama survived a spirited upset bid from the Bulldogs Thursday evening at the 2008 Southeastern Conference
Tournament in Baton Rouge.
The loss drops MSU to 40-20 overall, while the Crimson Tide improved to 50-5. State will now wait for Sunday’s NCAA Division I Softball Selection Show to see where it will land in next week’s field of 64. The selections will be unveiled at 9 p.m. CST on ESPNU.
Flesher allowed the lone run on two hits with a strikeout and four walks as she fell to 19-9 on the year. Flesher had a no-hit bid going until Dani Woods’ lead-off single in the decisive seventh.
With Woods at first, Flesher got Ashley Holcombe to pop a bunt up to Jessie Bailey at third base. Pinch-hitter Lauren Parker, who was making her first appearance since Apr. 12, hit a slow roller that Flesher threw away at first, allowing the eventual winning run to advance to third. State intentionally walked Whitney Larsen, and Rogers grounded a sharply-hit ground ball just past the out-stretched glove of Bainbridge at second base.
“It was a tough loss today,” MSU head coach Jay Miller said. “We certainly played well enough to win. Misty pitched a great game for us, and you hate to waste a pitching performance like that. We didn’t do a very good job of adjusting at the plate, but give a lot of credit to Kelsi Dunne for that.
"She made the pitches when she had to, and we had some great opportunities with runners in scoring position that we left out there.”
Chelsea Bramlett, who earned first team all-SEC honors a night ago, collected a hit and stole a base to move within two of the single-season stolen base record of 46 she set last season. SEC all-freshman team member Ali Bainbridge and Jessie Bailey also added a hit apiece, while Nakita Boyce turned in a triple in her lone hit of the night.
The Bulldogs put together a threat in the top half of the first as Bramlett walked and stole second. Courtney Bures drew a one-out walk, but UA starter Kelsi Dunne got a pop-out and a line-out to end the inning.
Dunne improved to 22-3 as she tossed a four-hit, complete-game shutout with nine strikeouts and three walks.
Alabama put up its first threat in the bottom of the fourth as Charlotte Morgan drew a one-out walk and advanced to second when Kellie Eubanks was hit by a pitch. Flesher, however, got out of the jam as Boyce made a diving catch down the line in left to rob Holcombe of an extra-base hit after Woods flew out.
After making the run-saving catch to end the fourth, Boyce led off the fifth and lined a triple, her fourth of the year, to the wall in right-center. With two outs, Bures drew an intentional pass and Guess was walked. Dunne kept the game scoreless as Sammie Jo Bailey hit a hard fly ball right to Woods in left. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 10 May 2008 )
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