Courtesy of Mississippi State Athletics
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Sophomore outfielder Amanda Ivy hit a dramatic walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh as the Mississippi State softball team escaped with a 4-3 victory against Delta State Sunday night at the MSU Softball Stadium. The exhibition victory gave the Bulldogs their second win of the day following a 4-0 triumph versus Wallace State earlier in the afternoon.
“It is fun to watch this team grow physically and mentally,” head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “This team has grit and guts and it is fun to coach.”
In game two, the Maroon and White trailed the Lady Statesmen after a three-run home run in the top of the first by the visitors. The Bulldogs eventually tied the game thanks to a pair of sacrifice flies and one passed ball. Tied at three with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Ivy rifled a base hit to center, scoring sophomore catcher Katie Anne Bailey from second for the game-winning run. True freshman right-hander Holly Ward picked up the complete-game victory.
“It is nice to get this experience in the fall, so when you go into the spring, you feel like you have been there and done that,” Stuedeman explained.
Game one saw a dominant complete-game shutout by sophomore left hander Alexis Silkwood. The lefty struck out six and surrendered just two hits to earn the victory. Senior outfielder Ashley Phillips aided the southpaw with a home run in the fifth.
The Bulldogs finished the fall exhibition season a perfect 7-0, outscoring their opponents by a 59-4 margin.
Starkville’s Team opens up its 2015 regular season with a 5:30 p.m. first pitch against Mississippi Valley State on Thursday, Feb. 5, at the MSU Softball Stadium. For more information on the program, follow the team on Twitter, like the squad on Facebook and join Stuedeman’s group on Instagram by searching for “HailStateSB.”
