STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State softball team went looking for a pick-me-up Wednesday night.
MSU found what it needed in a 14-0, five-inning victory against Jackson State on a blustery night at Nusz Park.
“Everybody leaves here with a little bit of confidence,” MSU sophomore designated player Sarai Niu said. “When you are getting ready to play a big conference series, confidence is a good thing. We lost a little bit of that last weekend, so it’s good to get that back.”
Last weekend, MSU scored only three runs in three losses to LSU in a Southeastern Conference series in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Coach Vann Stuedeman wanted to stress the positives from the weekend Wednesday night.
“We were one swing of the bat away from winning one, if not two of those games,” Stuedeman said. “You don’t get upset. You point out how close we are to turning the corner. In the middle of the season, you can’t quit. You keep working hard, maybe even harder. Three of the final five conference series at home. We got to find a way to get those hits.”
MSU had 10 hits from nine players against JSU. Five errors also aided the Bulldogs’ cause. Niu was the game’s lone multiple hitter.
The Bulldogs were never in any jeopardy after scoring six times in the first inning. Alexis Silkwood (11-3) and Cassady Knudsen combined on a four-hit shutout.
“We needed to put some things together to feel good about this upcoming weekend,” Silkwood. “Every series in this league is tough, so it’s nice to have a night like this. Everybody could relax and take a deep breath and enjoy playing the game. We needed some momentum heading into the weekend.”
MSU (27-12, 2-7 Southeastern Conference) will play host to South Carolina (22-14, 2-9) at 6 p.m. Friday in Game 1 of a three-game series that will be a part of Super Bulldog Weekend.
The win helped the Bulldogs surpass their win total from last season. Stuedeman is tracking all of the numbers as the season hits the stretch run.
“With a (Ratings Percentage Index) of 31, we really like where we are,” Stuedeman said. “We have gotten in as low as 37 in the past, so we appear to be in good shape. We have some winnable series left, too. If we can win a couple of these series, we will be in really good shape.
“Realistically, we feel like we can finish above .500, we will be OK. I am really proud we have played better softball this season. Super Bulldog Weekend is always a big event.”
MSU has one non-conference game remaining — April 18 at Alcorn State, so the Bulldogs will do the bulk of their resume-building in the final 15 conference games. Two more wins will clinch a winning season.
“Making a regional is the goal,” Niu said. “This program is known for being there every year. It really hurt last season that we didn’t get the job done. We really haven’t obsessed about last season. Instead, we just tried to learn and grow.”
The growing continued Wednesday night when the Bulldogs moved to 18-4 at Nusz Park.
“After a night like this, you are ready to play again,” MSU senior outfielder Amanda Ivy said. “Everybody will feel better coming to the ballpark Friday. From there, we just have to focus on the process and make sure we get some wins.”
n Alabama 5, Lipscomb 0: At Florence, Alabama, Sydney Littlejohn struck out a career-high 14 in a complete-game three-hitter Wednesday night to lead the Crimson Tide (33-6).
Marisa Runyon, Peyton Grantham, and Reagan Dykes had two hits for Alabama, which will play host to No. 8 LSU (31-7, 7-2 SEC) at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Game 1 of a three-game SEC weekend series at Rhoads Stadium for a three-game n South Alabama 4, Southern Mississippi 3: At Mobile, Alabama, Former New Hope High School standout Lauren Holifield hit a two-run home run, but the Golden Eagles (19-19) couldn’t hold a 3-0 lead.
Chase Nelson and Tori Dew had two hits to lead Southern Miss, which will travel to Conference USA opponent North Texas for a three-game series. The teams will play a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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