SALT LAKE CITY — The Mississippi State softball team saw its season end Friday with a 9-3 loss to Fordham in the NCAA tournament’s Salt Lake City Regional.
Emily Heimberger went 3-for-3 with a triple, while Reggie Harrison was 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI for MSU (36-22). Kat Moore and Olivia Golden (double) had two hits and a run scored. Bevia Robinson, Caroline Seitz, and Amanda Ivy also had hits.
MSU opened the scoring on a double by Harrison that scored Kat Moore to make it a 1-0 in the first inning. MSU held on to that lead until the third, when Fordham (46-16) used four hits to score four runs and take a 4-1 lead. The Rams duplicated that performance in the next inning to make it 8-1.
Fordham tacked on another run in the sixth before MSU rallied in the home half. Ivy singled to score Golden. Two batters later, a single by Moore single loaded the bases. A throwing error on the left fielder allowed Ivy to score from third to make it 9-3.
Alexis Silkwood started in the circle for MSU and went two inning and struck out three. Cassady Knudsen threw 1 2/3 innings in relief, striking out two. Holly Ward threw the final 3 1/3 innings. She struck out three.
Silkwood closes her career as the school’s all-time leader in wins (59), strikeouts (555), complete games (50), innings (665), and appearances (145). The East Alton, Illinois, native reeled in National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-South Region Second Team honors Thursday.
Seitz finished her career in the top 10 in numerous categories. She finished second in home runs (37), third in doubles (53), fourth in RBIs (166), and eighth in hits (230). Seitz was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference last week, the first Bulldog in seven years. She joined Silkwood on the NFCA All-South Region Second Team.
The final three members of MSU’s senior class are All-SEC defensive star Ivy, Golden, and Katie Anne Bailey.
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