7th inning rally leads MSU past UT

Saturday, April 26

Starkville, Miss.

University of Tennessee

45-10, 13-9

Mississippi State

39-16, 12-11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Tennessee	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	5	1
Mississippi State	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	7	1

April 26, 2008 | Softball

Box Score

Box Score

STARKVILLE, Miss. ??? A two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning led No. 23 Mississippi State (39-16, 12-11 Southeastern Conference) to a 2-1 comeback victory over No. 10 Tennessee (45-10, 13-9 SEC) in the opener of a Saturday doubleheader at the MSU Softball Field in Starkville, Miss.

Freshman pitcher Ashton Ward took the defeat dropping to 26-4 on the season and 6-3 in league action after allowing two earned runs on seven hits with four K???s over 6.1 innings of work.

The UT offense managed five hits in the contest and got a clutch RBI single with two outs in the sixth from junior pinch hitter Danielle Pieroni, granting the Big Orange a brief 1-0 lead.?? Senior third baseman Tonya Callahan went 1-for-2 at the plate and was walked twice in the match-up to hold her season average at .466 overall and .500 in league action.

The middle of the Tennessee line-up got a two-out threat going against Bulldog hurler Misty Flesher in the top of the first as the pitcher issued back-to-back walks to senior third baseman Tonya Callahan and senior designated player Shannon Doepking.?? Sophomore catcher Tiffany Huff swung at the first offering she received from Flesher and popped it up into foul territory down the left field line.?? MSU shortstop Courtney Bures raced over from her defensive position and made a running back-handed catch, ending the frame with no damage.

After Ward worked a quick one-two-three bottom of the first with a K, freshman first baseman Jen Lapicki drew an historic lead-off walk in the second.?? The free pass drawn by the Oldwick, N.J., native was UT???s 224th of the season breaking the single-season school record for team walks formerly held by the 2007 Lady Vol squad (223).?? Webb drove the first pitch she saw the other way to left and near the line.?? Mississippi State left fielder Nakita Boyce drifted over in an attempt to make the catch but dropped it for an error placing two aboard with still none out.?? Sophomore second baseman Nicole Kajitani battled Flesher to 2-2 and fouled off three straight pitches before popping up to short.?? Junior left fielder Lillian Hammond flew out to left as Boyce rebounded from her previous miscue to make the catch.?? Posey grounded out routinely to third as MSU???s Jessie Bailey tossed across the diamond to first baseman Sammie Jo Bailey, concluding the Big Orange threat.

The Maroon and White earned its first base runner in the bottom of the second as center fielder Hayle Guess coerced a lead-off walk.?? With a 1-1 count on Sammie Jo Bailey, Guess took off and swiped a base, reaching scoring position with no one retired.?? The Bulldog batter worked to a full count against Ward before chasing a rise ball for an important initial retirement.?? UT???s hurler managed to corral a high chopper back to the circle off the bat of Jessie Bailey before throwing over to Lapicki for the second out.?? Callahan handled a routine grounder from right fielder Brittany Bell leaving the MSU runner stranded just 60 feet from paydirt and maintaining the scoreless deadlock.

Lady Vol freshman right fielder Kelly Grieve christened the third inning by battling Flesher for 13 pitches before popping up to second base.?? Callahan fought off a tough inside offering lifting a spinning ball that dropped just in front of the second baseman Ali Bainbridge, allowing Callahan just enough time to reach safely for a single.?? Doepking grounded out advancing the runner up 60 feet into scoring position with Huff stepping to the dish.?? The Saugus, Calif., product battled to 3-2 before popping up harmlessly to third upping UT???s stranded count to five through three innings.

Bramlett granted the Bulldogs their initial base hit of the contest via a two-out single into left field in the bottom of the third after Ward had struck out the previous two hitters she faced in the frame.?? That???s when Ward???s battery mate Huff ended the MSU inning by making a strong throw down to second, nailing Bramlett stealing for just the third time this season in 44 total steal attempts.

It took just five pitches for Ward to retire Mississippi State in order in the bottom of the fourth.?? Callahan made an outstanding acrobatic play on a lead-off bouncer from Bainbridge that threatened to travel over her head.?? She reached back off-balance and caught the ball before throwing off her back foot to Lapicki who scooped the low throw just in time to record the initial out.?? Routine ground balls off the bats of Bures and Guess ended a very quick and quiet inning for the Bulldogs.

With the match-up still scoreless into the fifth, Posey reached via single with one down in the top half on a perfect high slap chopper over the circle.?? The Los Angeles, Calif., native immediately took off for second recording her team-best 38th theft of the campaign.?? Following a line-out to third from Grieve, MSU head coach Jay Miller took the bat out of the hands of the power-hitting Callahan with an intentional walk, the 15th of the season for the third baseman.?? Doepking couldn???t make the Bulldogs pay for the move, however, by grounding out to short to complete the inning.

Sammie Jo Bailey opened the bottom of the fifth with a walk from Ward.?? She advanced all the way to third on a ground ball from Jessie Bailey as UT???s defense failed to cover second on a throw attempting to retire the lead runner.?? Bell bounced down to Callahan and she managed to catch the lead runner in a rundown between third and home registering a big first out.?? With runners occupying second and third after the play, MSU designated player Lindsay Hunley battled to 2-2 before popping out in foul ground outside of third to Posey.?? Boyce ripped a shot back up the middle, but Ward nabbed it as it threatened to travel by on her glove side and tossed on to Lapicki concluding the Maroon and White threat.

Webb got something started for the Orange & White with two outs in the top of the sixth by lacing her fifth triple of the campaign past Bell in right field and off the wall.?? Co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly made a quick decision to bring Pieroni in to bat for Kajitani.?? The move immediately paid off as the Madison, Tenn., native ripped a shot right back up the middle allowing Webb to cross with the contest???s initial run for a 1-0 Tennessee advantage.

Attempting to answer right back in the bottom of the sixth, MSU???s Bainbridge ripped a shot back up the middle that Posey managed to corral on a dive but couldn???t make a play as the runner reached safely via a one-out single.?? Bures bounced to short as Posey corralled the sphere, turned and threw to Kajitani covering second for retirement number two.?? Guess dropped a bunt up the third base line that threatened to roll foul but never did, placing two aboard for the Maroon and White.?? A wild pitch permitted both base occupants to advance 60 feet before they were joined by Sammie Jo Bailey on the base paths via intentional walk.?? With the bases juiced, Ward got ahead of Jessie Bailey 0-2 before inducing a routine ground ball to second that Kajitani handled easily leaving three Bulldogs stranded.????

Opening the top of the seventh frame, the slap-hitting Grieve laced a perfect high chopper to third that hung in the air just long enough for the Asheville, N.C., native to beat out a lead-off base knock.?? That allowed Callahan the chance to hit and she blasted a deep drive into left center but not quite far enough as Guess squeezed the orb for out number two.?? On the catch, Grieve attempted to advance to second, but was easily thrown out completing the MSU double play.

Down to a last chance in regulation, Mississippi State???s Bell beat out an infield single christening the bottom of the seventh.?? Hunley ripped a shot but right to Callahan at third as the UT fielder turned and cut down the lead runner at second.?? In an attempt to drop a sacrifice bunt, Boyce laid down a ball out in front of the plate and reached safely on a miscommunication as no Lady Vol covered first.?? With two on and just one out, the right-hand hitting Bramlett pulled a single through the left side of the infield loading the bags.?? That brought up Bainbridge with a chance to be the heroine, and she came through with a single that ricocheted off Ward???s glove and up the middle, plating a pair of Bulldogs for a 2-1 walk-off victory.??????????????????????????????????????????????????

No. 10 Tennessee will continue its doubleheader versus Mississippi State at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET at the MSU Softball Field in Starkville, Miss.