STARKVILLE — The message from the Mississippi State University softball locker room is the team is close.
Unfortunately in the Southeastern Conference and against the No. 2 team in the country, close isn’t good enough.
MSU had the game-winning run at the plate with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but like the previous night allowed the opportunity to slip away against the University of Alabama in a 4-2 loss Saturday
“We had a ton of balls hit right at people and could not get the little break we needed,” said MSU softball coach Vann Stuedeman, whose team slipped to 19-17 and 3-12 in the SEC. “When you have the winning run at the dish in the bottom of the seventh, you know you are making a rally for it. That is all you can ask for out of your offense.”
Sophomore second baseman Heidi Shape had two of the Bulldogs’ four hits on the day.
“I’m just seeing it a lot better this weekend for whatever reason,” Shape said. “I just feel like the coaches have a great plan for me and it’s starting to come together for me at the plate.”
Senior catcher Ka’ili Smith (1-for-3) and redshirt sophomore shortstop Erin Nesbit (0-for-2) drove in runs for MSU, while senior right fielder Brittany Gates had a single and a scored a run.
Junior left-handed pitcher Kylie Vry (5-6) allowed all four runs on six hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. Senior left-hander Lindsey Dunlap and junior southpaw Stephanie Becker allowed just one hit the rest of the game.
“Dunlap is getting better with every single outing,” Stuedeman said. “She has great spin and when she gets comfortable she’s really scary out there.”
Alabama (34-1) got on the scoreboard first for the second time in the series with a two-run second inning. With the bases loaded, third baseman Danielle Richard’s sacrifice fly deep to left plated the first run. The next Crimson Tide run in the second scored on an infield single by center fielder Jennifer Fenton.
MSU cut the lead in half with an RBI single to left field by Smith. All of the momentum from the run vanished after Alabama shortstop Kaila Hunt and Richard answered with home runs in back-to-back innings.
Hunt, who made two errors to allow MSU to take the lead late in Friday’s game, was 2-for-3 Saturday.
A safety squeeze called by Stuedeman plated the final run, but ended a potential rally as after the runner scored because MSU’s baserunners ran themselves into a double play.
To ensure the series victory Alabama replaced Amanda Locke with All-America pitcher Jackie Traina. After getting her 20th victory in a 150-pitch effort less than 16 hours earlier, Traina struck out two in her only inning to earn her first save.
“We’re still really mad we didn’t get over the hump and win,” Shape said. “It stinks not winning and it doesn’t matter who we’re playing at all. We need to start winning in this league period.”
MSU will wrap up the weekend series with the rival Crimson Tide at 1 p.m. today.
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