STARKVILLE — Good pitching and near-perfect defense is a good formula to win close games.
The Mississippi State softball team used a complete-game shutout from Alexis Silkwood to take a 4-0 victory against Southern Mississippi on Tuesday night at Nusz Park.
Silkwood (4-6) escaped situations with runners in scoring position in the first and second innings. After that, the junior left-hander settled down en route to a six-hitter. She didn’t walk a batter and struck out six. The Golden Eagles also didn’t have a stolen base and the Bulldogs didn’t commit an error.
MSU coach Vann Stuedeman praised Silkwood’s pitching performance and her team’s ability not to give the Golden Eagles any gifts.
“As soon as the game was over, I saw we did not give up any freebies,” Stuedeman said. “We have been working on all that all year — not giving up any freebies and playing clean softball. It sets yourself up to win, and it was pleasing.”
The game was scoreless until the fourth, when junior catcher Katie Anne Bailey slapped a solo home run to left-center field.
Bailey said her home run helped keep her team in the right mind-set.
“(The home run) was a fun way to set the tone,” Bailey said. “I think we all came into the game with the right mind-set and attitude, but what home run does not bring out the energy?”
The Bulldogs (24-20) tacked on three runs in the sixth. Junior Mackenzie Toler’s single scored Caroline Seitz and Amanda Ivy. Calyn Adams also had an RBI double that scored Olivia Golden.
After Bailey’s home run, Silkwood retired six in a row and surrendered one hit to lead off the seventh. She said the run support helped her feel comfortable late in the game.
“It is always nice to put one up on the board,” Silkwood said. “It just helps us go out there and do our thing.”
Southern Miss starter Samantha Robles (14-8) took the loss. She threw five innings, striking out one and allowing a walk. She allowed all four runs on six hits before being lifted in the sixth. Jillian Johnson allowed two hits in the final inning.
Southern Miss (23-24) had six hits, including two by former New Hope High School standout Lauren Holifield and Robles.
Southern Miss will have the weekend off before returning to action Wednesday, April 27, against Louisiana-Monroe.
MSU will take on No. 1 Florida this weekend in a three-game series in Gainesville, Florida. Game 1 will be at 5 p.m. Friday. Game 2 will be at noon Saturday. The teams will play a nationally televised game at 5 p.m. Sunday on the SEC Network.
n Ole Miss 5, Memphis 3: At Oxford, the Rebels made history Tuesday night, clinching their school-record 31st win in a victory against the Tigers at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
Ole Miss (31-15) become the first team in school history to win more than 30 games. It has 11 games remaining in the regular season.
Ole Miss also etches its name into the record books for the most home wins of any team in program history, now with 16 on the season breaking the former record of 15 set by the 2010 club.
Alex Schneider and Miranda Strother hit home runs to fuel the victory. Schneider hit a solo shot in the fourth inning to set the tables, while Strother gave the Rebels the lead in the fifth with a three-run blast.
Senior Madi Osias earned her 16th victory and inched closer to the single-season wins record thanks to a five-inning effort. She allowed two runs and four hits. She struck out four. Sophomore Kayla Landwehrmier worked the final two frames to earn her team-best third save.
Grayce Majam was 2-for-2, while five other Rebels had one hit each. Elantra Cox, Hailey Lunderman, Strother, Schneider, and Paige McKinney scored for Ole Miss.
Ole Miss will play host to Arkansas this weekend in a three-game Southeastern Conference series. Game 1 will be at 6 p.m. Friday. Game 2 will be at 7 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network). Game 3 will be at 1 p.m. Sunday. It will be Strikeout Cancer day at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
n Alabama will play host to South Alabama: At Tuscaloosa, Alabama, No. 4 Alabama will play host to South Alabama at 6 tonight at Rhoads Stadium.
Alabama (38-8) is coming off winning two of three games against No. 16 Texas A&M last weekend. The Crimson Tide have scored at least seven runs in seven of their last eight games, hitting at least one home run in six of them.
This is Alabama’s last non-conference game of the season. The Crimson Tide are 28-3 against non-league foes.
South Alabama (26-12) took two of three games from Georgia Southern last weekend in Sun Belt Conference action.
Junior Colleges
n ICC’s Hollenhead named MACJC Player of the Week: At Fulton, Itawamba Community College freshman third baseman Mamie Hollenhead, of Mathiston, has been named Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) Player of the Week for her performance last week against Holmes C.C. and Copiah-Lincoln C.C.
Hollenhead had a .846 (11-for-13) batting average with four RBIs, one home run, and five runs scored to help the No. 12 Indians (37-8, 22-6 MACJC) go 4-0 on the week.
ICC secured the No. 3 seed with the sweep of Co-Lin and will play host the No. 6 seed in a best-of-three series to open the MACJC playoffs, which will begin Friday.
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