STARKVILLE — Mississippi State senior center fielder Amanda Ivy is always looking to provide a spark for her team.
When trailing by more than a run, there is only so much a player can do at the plate, so Ivy tried to give her team a lift on defense.
“The thing about our team is we go all out,” Ivy said. “We are going to compete until there are no more outs. If there is a play to be made, we are going to try to make it. Stay in the process. Play a game one pitch at a time. Make plays. I love the fight in this team. We are going to battle.”
The battle took even longer than expected Sunday afternoon at Nusz Park. MSU won the Southeastern Conference series, but No. 16 Kentucky won the series finale with a 10-7, 11-inning Senior Day win on the final day of the regular season.
The Bulldogs made five errors and stranded 18 runners on a day both teams had a long list of reasons for why they should have won.
“I really like the fight in this team,” MSU coach Vann Stuedeman said. “That is something that was missing in last year’s team. When the year started, you could tell there was a determination. It was not beautifully played on our part. It was a great weekend, but the effort today wasn’t good enough to beat a top-20 team.
“Still, we battled. We were in a position. The grit and determination I can live with. There will be days when we execute better.”
MSU finishes the regular season 36-19 and 10-14 in league play. MSU has won 10 or more conference games in four of Stuedeman’s six seasons as head coach. The Bulldogs also matched a school record with nine wins against ranked opponents.
MSU will be the No. 9 seed in the SEC tournament. It will play No. 8 seed Ole Miss at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Knoxville, Tennessee (SEC Network), in the first round of the event. The rivals have never met in the conference tournament.
To advance, the Bulldogs will have to play better than they did Sunday.
“We just had some plays we normally make that we didn’t make,” said MSU junior outfielder Olivia Golden, who also played her final game at Nusz Park on Sunday. “Winning this series was a huge confidence lift. We know how we close we are to being a great team. We go into the postseason with a lot of confidence. We know we can compete.”
Kentucky built a 3-0 lead with four hits off ace Alexis Silkwood in the first inning.
Ivy then robbed a home run with a leaping catch against the outfield wall in the third. The Bulldogs became more engaged after that and the offense soon kicked it in gear.
“I feel like we have the best outfield in the SEC,” Ivy said. “Each of us is going to sacrifice our body to make a play. We have good speed and we feel like we can make a play on any ball hit our way.”
Silkwood pitched the first inning. Cassady Knudsen threw the next two innings. Holly Ward (7-9) pitched the final eight innings. She allowed seven hits but only two earned runs.
Knudsen pitched a complete-game four-hitter in a 6-2 win Friday night. Silkwood threw 6-2/3 innings before Ward got the final out of a 5-3 win Saturday.
Chances for the sweep looked bleak when MSU entered the home half of the seventh trailing 7-3. Kentucky ace Meagan Prince suddenly lost her control, as the Bulldogs scored four runs on two hits. The Bulldogs capitalized on three hit batters and two walks. Golden and Emily Heimberger set the table with hits. A hit batter and walk forced in two runs. A groundball out brought the Bulldogs within one. A bases-loaded walk to Reggie Harrison tied the game.
Golden struck out on a full-count pitch and the Bulldogs were on their way to their longest conference game of the season.
The Bulldogs had 11 hits. Golden had three of them, while Sarai Niu and Heimberger each had two.
“We go into the tournament after a good series on offense, and that is important,” Golden said. “You have to be able to score runs.”
A year ago, MSU played host to the conference tournament for the first time. A first-round loss ended that tournament stay quickly. This year’s mind-set is different. Winning 10 more games in the regular season will do that for a team.
“Whatever it takes,” Ivy said. “On offense. On defense. We are here to play. We want to shock the world.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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