ITTA BENA — A combined no-hitter from freshman Regan Green and sophomore Holly Ward marked the 18th in program history and catapulted the Mississippi State softball team past Mississippi Valley State 6-0 Thursday afternoon.
Green and Ward combined for the first no-hitter since Alexis Silkwood on March 25, 2015, against Southern Mississippi and the second combined no-hitter in MSU history.
Senior Kayla Winkfield went4-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored, including her first-career home run.
“Today was awesome,” said MSU coach Vann Stuedeman, whose team improved to 25-24. “We had a no-hitter from Regan Green and Holly Ward, while Kayla Winkfield hit her first career home run on the biggest field we’ve played on all year. I couldn’t be happier for her.”
Junior Katie Anne Bailey had a two-out double to give MSU a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
In the second, Winkfield crushed a pitch to straightaway center field for a two-run home run. Junior Caroline Seitz singled to center with two outs to score Amanda Ivy from second to make it 5-0.
In the fourth, Ivy singled to center to score Winkfield and account for the final margin.
Green made way for Ward in the sixth. After issuing two walks, Ward escaped the jam.
Green (6-5) walked two and struck out seven in five innings. Ward walked two and struck out one in two innings. The no-hitter was a career first for Green and Ward.
MSU will close out its home schedule this weekend with a three-game Southeastern Conference series against No. 11 Missouri at Nusz Park. Game 1 will be at 6 tonight.
n In related news, Alabama senior center fielder Haylie McCleney was named the 2015-16 Southeastern Conference H. Boyd McWhorter Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Thursday.
McCleney is the first Alabama softball player and only the second softball player in league history to earn the conference’s highest academic accolade. Ole Miss golfer Forrest Gamble earned the men’s honor.
McCleney and Gamble were chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from SEC universities and both will receive a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship.
Tennis
n Three Bulldogs earn All-SEC honors:
At Birmingham, Alabama, Mississippi State junior Mate Cutura was named first-team All-SEC, while junior Rishab Agarwal and freshman Nuno Borges earned second-team All-SEC accolades on Thursday.
Agarwal also received the program’s first SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year honor, while Borges was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.
Ole Miss sophomore Gustav Hansson was named first-team All SEC, while teammate Stefan Lindmark, a senior, earned second-team honors. It marks the second time for both players to earn the recognition. Alabama sophomore Korey Lovett and freshman Mazen Osama were second-team All-SEC picks. Osama also made the All-Freshman Team.
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