STARKVILLE — Mississippi State softball coach Vann Stuedeman had a surprise visitor to her office Sunday morning.
Sophomore pitcher Alexis Silkwood dropped by and admitted a few gaps in her mental outlook Saturday in a loss to No. 19 Texas A&M.
“She told me she was too focused on the end result and lost track of the process,” Stuedeman said. “She told me she was ready to pitch again (Sunday) and that she would be ready to deliver a stronger performance because she was going to focus on the process.”
Silkwood lived up to her word by throwing a complete game and hitting a game-tying home run to help MSU rally for a 7-5 win against Texas A&M to take the Southeastern Conference series 2-1 before another rowdy crowd at the MSU Softball Field.
“Alexis showed a maturity way beyond her years,” Stuedeman said. “When a sophomore gets it, that is really special. She is just such a delightful player to coach. She is special. She was depressed when Saturday ended, but Sundays in our league are all about grit and determination. How quickly can you get back up? That is what you find out real quickly in this league.”
MSU improved to 20-6 and 3-3 in league play, while Texas A&M fell to 21-7 and 3-3. The Bulldogs took a series for the first time ever from the Aggies. MSU also notched its fourth win against a ranked
opponent this season.
Last week, MSU stood two spots away from being ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25. The Bulldogs most likely will have their number called for the first time in Stuedeman’s four seasons when the poll comes out Tuesday.
“It’s all about winning the late innings,” MSU sophomore left fielder Amanda Ivy said. “The coaches always talk to us about Sundays being about toughness and determination. The team that wants it more usually wins on Sundays.”
With two outs, Ivy slapped a game-winning two-run home run in the bottom half of the seventh inning. Earlier in the inning, Silkwood hit a two-run home run to erase a 5-3 deficit with one out.
The dramatics came one week after MSU beat then-No. 8 Georgia 8-7 in nine innings on a Katie Anne Bailey home run.
“There really is no deficit we don’t think we can overcome,” Bailey said. “It’s a different mind-set at the plate. We see things differently now.”
Silkwood saw things differently Sunday afternoon. Actually, she saw them in a similar fashion to Friday night.
In the series opener, Silkwood pitched a six-hit shutout in a 7-0 win. The Bulldogs scored five runs in the second and were never threatened.
On Saturday, Holly Ward started strongly after her teammates produced seven runs in the first.
“Winning the series is great,” Stuedeman said. “Unfortunately, we took our foot off the gas Saturday. We scored seven runs in the first inning and did not have another hit until the sixth inning. That is what happens when you have 14 underclassmen on the team. We constantly stress the importance of playing every inning and playing every at-bat.”
Silkwood inherited two runners and an 8-5 lead when she entered in the seventh. An illegal pitch opened the door and a three-run home run by pinch hitter Breanna Dozier pushed the Aggies right through it in a 10-8 victory.
While most pitchers and teams would have struggled to recover, the Bulldogs went back to work and rebounded Sunday for a second-straight week.
“We wanted the series win because we felt like we let the second game get away,” Silkwood said. “It’s all about how bad you want and how hard you are going to work to get it.”
Silkwood (15-4) allowed six hits and five earned runs in her 10th complete game. The 15 victories lead the SEC and rank her third nationally.
MSU finished with 28 hits in the series. The Bulldogs have had 10 or more hits in 10 games after doing it seven times last season.
“A lot of credit goes to (new hitting) coach (Samantha) Ricketts,” Stuedeman said. “The players have complete confidence in her. We are scoring a ton of runs. It’s a new feeling around here.”
Silkwood and Kayla Winkfield each had three hits in the win. Julia Echols, Caroline Seitz, and Ivy each had multiple hits.
MSU will play Tuesday at Southeastern Louisiana (10-15) before traveling to Ole Miss this weekend for a three-game conference series. The final two games of that series will be televised on the SEC Network.
n No. 12 Auburn 7, Ole Miss 3: At Oxford, Madi Osias and Miranda Strother hit home runs, but the Rebels (15-10, 0-5) lost to No. 12 Auburn (28-2, 2-0) in a game in which nine runs were scored off home runs.
Strother had a two-run home run, while Osias added a solo home run in the sixth that helped Ole Miss cut the deficit to 5-3.
Lauren Lindsey (4-3) took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits in three innings. Osias went the final four innings, striking out seven and walking three. She allowed two runs on three hits.
Lexi Davis (12-0) picked up the win. She gave up three runs on eight hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Rachel Walters struck out two in two innings to earn her second save.
The teams will close the three-game series at 6 tonight (SEC Network).
n Alabama 4, Georgia 2: At Athens, Georgia, A two-run home run by Kallie Case in the sixth helped the Crimson Tide (20-5, 5-1) edge the Bulldogs (23-5, 2-3).
The home run was Case’s first of the season and her second extra-base hit of the season. Demi Turner went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Alexis Osorio (8-2) earned the win and Leslie Jury earned her second save.
Georgia committed four errors, one of which ultimately led to Case’s home run. Starter Chelsea Wilkinson didn’t factor in the decision. Brittany Gray (10-1) took the loss in 4 2/3 innings of relief.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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