STARKVILLE — Cassady Knudsen kept the Mississippi State softball team’s shutout streak going Thursday night with a complete-game one-hitter in a 3-0 victory against Tennessee-Martin at Nusz Park.
Knudsen (2-0) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before giving up a single to Jodie Duncan. MSU (5-0) has thrown a program-record five-straight shutouts to open the season.
Knudsen walked none and struck out 10. She allowed just two base runners after a MSU error in the third and a single in the top of the seventh.
Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week catcher/infielder Mia Davidson went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Davidson scored MSU’s first run in the bottom of the fourth on junior infielder Sarai Niu’s single.
Davidson added a two-out triple in the fifth to score junior outfielder Kat Moore. Davidson scored her second run on shortstop Reggie Harrison’s double. Harrison went 2-for-3 for her first multi-hit outing of her senior season.
MSU will continue its 10-gane homestand at 3 p.m. today when it play host to Murray State in its first game of the February Freezer at Nusz Park. MSU also will play host to Drake at 5:30 p.m. today.
Also Thursday, freshman Alex Wilcox made her collegiate debut with a pinch-hit at bat in the “No One Fights Alone” teal game. MSU wore teal to show support for Wilcox in her battle with ovarian cancer.
N Ole Miss 8, Texas 2: At Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Kaitlin Lee threw four shutout innings, and Kylan Becker had two hits Thursday to lead the No. 15 Ole Miss softball team past Texas in its first game at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge at Nancy Almaraz Stadium.
Lee allowed only four hits to help Ole Miss improve to 4-1. Morgan Bruce surrendered a run on one hit. Elisha Jahnke made her season debut in the seventh innings, allowing a run on two hits.
Becker walked twice, scored two runs, and drove one in from the top of the order. Freshman Ally Mena went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a double, while Autumn Gillespie went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored.
Ole Miss will play Houston at 2 p.m. today.
n Southern Mississippi will play host to annual Black and Gold Invitational: At Hattiesburg, the Southern Mississippi softball team will play host to No. 9 Alabama at 1 p.m. today in its first game at the annual Black and Gold Invitational at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
Southern Miss (2-4) is coming off a doubleheader sweep of Alcorn State on Tuesday.
Alabama (3-0) is coming off three shutout victories last weekend. It defeated Penn State 10-0 and Lamar 13-0 at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Alabama was scheduled to play two additional games but inclement weather forced the final day of tournament play to be canceled.
n East Central C.C.’s Oswalt throws no-hitter in sweep: At Brewton, Alabama, East Central Community College sophomore right-hander Kaitlyn Oswalt threw a five-inning no-hitter Thursday in a 10-0 victory against Coast Alabama-East.
No. 10 ECCC (5-1) won the second game 9-0 in five innings.
Oswalt (2-1), a former standout at New Hope High School and at Heritage Academy in Columbus, struck out six and walked two.
Former Caledonia High School standout Cassie Obman had two hits and two RBIs.
ECCC will play host to the EC Invitational on Saturday. ECCC will face East Mississippi C.C. at 11 a.m. and Hinds C.C. at 3 p.m. Hinds and EMCC will play at 1 p.m.
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