#12 UT Takes 4-3 Thriller at Miss. St.

Friday, April 17

Starkville, Miss.

6:30 PM

University of Tennessee

33-11, 9-7

Mississippi State

31-14, 9-10

Tennessee

Mississippi State

April 17, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

April 17, 2015

Box Score

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Taylor Koenig hit a solo home run in the second inning and No. 12 Tennessee scored two runs in the seventh to defeat Mississippi State, 4-3, on Friday at MSU Softball Field.

Tennessee (33-11, 9-7 SEC) scored one run in the second inning, one run in the fourth and two in the seventh. Mississippi State (31-14, 9-10 SEC) came alive late in the game, scoring runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh.

Koenig gave UT control of the game early with a second-inning home run. Shaliyah Geathers went 2-for-3 with one run and one walk. Lexi Overstreet had a sacrifice fly and a walk. Megan Geer drove in a run in the go-ahead run (3-2) in the seventh.

Rainey Gaffin (9-2) earned the win after striking out two over six inning with three earned runs allowed. Cheyanne Tarango threw one relief frame and one of Gaffin's runs scored with Tarango in the circle.

Alexis Silkwood (22-11) took the loss after allowing four runs over seven frames.

Koenig gave Tennessee a 1-0 lead in the second inning when she knocked a solo home run to left field off Silkwood. With one out, Koenig smacked a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for her team-leading 14th home run on the year.

Tennessee grew its lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning when Overstreet hit a sacrifice fly to plate Geer. With one out and runners on the corners, Overstreet sent the first pitch she saw to center field for her 25th RBI of the season.

Mississippi State got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth when Silkwood hit a two-out single up the middle to plate Julia Echols from third base. A single through the left side by Katie Anne Bailey gave the Bulldogs two on with two outs, but Gaffin escaped the jam when CJ McClain tracked down Erika Gaul's fly ball to deep left field.

The Bulldogs knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Mackenzie Toler drew a bases-loaded walk off Tarango, scoring Kayla Winkfield from third base.

In the top of the seventh, Tennessee plated two runs to reclaim the lead. UT loaded the bases after Geathers singled through the right side, Meghan Gregg hit a bloop single to left field and Gretchen Aucoin drew a walk on four pitches. Geer reached on an error by the shortstop, bringing home Geathers and Gregg on the play.

Tennessee and Mississippi State will play Game 2 of this week's series on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET. The game time was moved up due to expected inclement weather in the Starkville area. That game will feature a live online video broadcast on SEC Network +/WatchESPN. Fans can also listen live on WNML 990 AM and UTSports.com.