STARKVILLE — Just that quickly and the losing streak is 24 in a row.
The Mississippi State University softball team, led by former University of Alabama pitching coach Vann Stuedeman, nearly pulled off one of the most significant upsets in program history.
The Bulldogs softball program couldn’t hold a 4-2 lead with just nine outs remaining. Instead, the second-ranked Crimson Tide scored the final three runs of the game to take a dramatic 5-4 victory.
Alabama plated the game-winning run on a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk by MSU relief pitcher Misty Flesher.
Alabama (33-1, 10-1 in SEC) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning after a double steal and an RBI-single up the middle got to MSU starting pitcher Stephanie Becker early.
“I guess I was just getting adjusted to everything,” Becker said. “We’re excited that we came together as a team, battled hard and can’t wait to play again tomorrow.”
MSU answered the Crimson Tide’s early offense in the third frame as back-to-back errors by Alabama shortstop Kaila Hunt produced the Bulldogs (19-16, 3-11) first run and it was quickly tied at two after left fielder Jessica Cooley singled through the left side.
Following a leadoff walk by first baseman Shelby Fisher, MSU shortstop Erin Nesbit took a pitch deep over the center field wall at the MSU Softball Field to give the Bulldogs their first lead 4-2 in the fourth inning.
Nesbit, who is the third cousin of Alabama center fielder Jennifer Fenton, had only one home run and seven RBIs through 79 at-bats this season but there was no questioning where her fourth-inning line drive would end up.
“That was an absolute no-doubter and she got all barrel,” Stuedeman said. “She’ll gain some confidence from this for the rest of the series.”
The Crimson Tide quickly tied the score back up in the fifth inning when pitcher Amanda Locke knocked a double into the left field corner which was followed up by an RBI-single by Jazlyn Lunceford.
“This ball game is never over and can’t count anybody out on either team and so I never thought we had this one locked up,” Stuedeman said.
Jackie Traina (20-0), who leads the SEC in victories, surrendered just two earned runs in a complete-game, 150-pitch effort with nine strikeouts.
With the loss, the MSU losing streak to the Alabama program now stretches 24 games in a row.
Becker (10-8) took another hard-luck loss in the pitching circle as her 139-pitch effort was the longest of the season as the junior from Aurora, Ill., went 6-1/3 innings to give up five runs over five hits with striking out six but surrendered eight walks.
“She toed the rubber out there and said c’mon let’s go and ride this out,” Stuedeman said. “I couldn’t be prouder of her. She did a really good job of hitting her spots and staying in control of her emotions.”
After the game, both head coaches hugged in the handshake line seemingly trying to end all bad blood between the pair coming into an emotionally-charged league series. Stuedeman, who worked for 11 years under current Crimson Tide coach Patrick Murphy, had not had much of any contact with her old boss since taking the job in Starkville.
The two schools that are 83 miles apart off Highway 82 will take the field again today at 1 p.m. for the second game of the weekend series.
Elsewhere in the SEC Friday night, Auburn beat Ole Miss 9-5 in 10 innings; Kentucky beat Tennessee, 5-3; LSU beat Arkansas, 1-0 and the Florida vs. Georgia game was suspended in the seventh inning with Georgia holding a 3-0 lead. That contest will be completed today.
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