STARKVILLE — It might have taken a while, but Mississippi State softball coach Vann Stuedeman had the end-game scenario she wanted Sunday afternoon at the MSU Softball Field.
Sophomore third baseman Caroline Seitz was batting with her team trailing by a run with two runners on base. Seitz then became the latest Sunday walk-off hero, blasting a three-run home run to lift MSU past No. 3 Florida 5-3.
Seitz’s home run helped MSU salvage the final game of a three-game Southeastern Conference weekend series against the reigning national champions. The Bulldogs were within a whisker of winning the series, as they dropped a 3-2 decision Friday night. Florida won 16-2 in five innings Saturday.
“We have 13 come-from-behind wins,” Stuedeman said. “It is fun to see the way softball is trending. There are more runs in the game. That makes for a more exciting game for the fans. This is the part of the game they play for. When you play the game, you want to hit. You don’t want to pitch or field. You want to hit.
“The girls are really embracing that part of the game. That is evident in that we continue to put up quality at-bats. The team is resilient. That is for sure.”
In the last three Sunday home games, MSU (25-10, 5-7 SEC) has defeated nationally ranked Georgia, Texas A&M, and Florida (32-4, 5-4 SEC) in walk-off fashion.
Against Georgia, MSU scored twice in the seventh inning to tie the game. A Katie Anne Bailey home run meant victory in the ninth.
Against Texas A&M, Amanda Ivy and Alexis Silkwood each hit two-run home runs in the seventh to again erase a two-run deficit.
The magic hasn’t been limited to games in Starkville. In Oxford last Friday, MSU scored seven runs with two outs in the seventh to take an 8-6 win at Ole Miss.
On Sunday, MSU had two hits and no runs through six innings. In the seventh, MSU put together five hits and scored all five runs with two outs.
“It’s really a mind-set,” Seitz said. “The coaches have always talked about the late innings being our innings. This year, we have really put that into action more. I think it’s just a totally different level of confidence at the plate. Once we came from behind one time, we knew we could do it. That has carried over. We really believe no matter the score and no matter the inning we can come back and win.”
MSU has won by walk-off four times in non-run rule games. The Bulldogs have won seven times in their final at-bat. MSU is 4-6 record when trailing after six innings. The Bulldogs have scored 25 runs in the seventh this season. Their record against ranked opponents is 5-6.
The three Sunday conference walk-off wins at home are even more remarkable considering the opponents have won the Saturday game in each series by a combined score of 35-11.
“I think it’s what really sets us apart as a team,” said Bailey, a sophomore catcher. “It’s hard to beat another team when they believe. Sundays are all about toughness. The coaches always preach that the winner of the Sunday game in a series is the team that wants it more. We take that as a challenge physically and mentally.
“We want to go out and prove that we are a tough team. That is why you just have to forget about the game you play and move on to the next one.”
After a strikeout, Katie Gentle began the rally with a hit. Bailey followed with another hit. Following another strikeout, pinch hitter Calyn Adams followed with an RBI single. Julia Echols followed with another run-producing hit. Seitz then slapped her team-best ninth home run.
The rally was enough to make a winner out of Silkwood, a sophomore left-hander. A tough-luck loser in the series opener, Silkwood allowed seven hits and no earned runs for her conference-best 18th win.
After being hit by a pitch, Silkwood didn’t bat Saturday or Sunday. However, she had teammates carry the offensive burden. For this team, any player could be the hero on any given Sunday.
“They have embraced the role of being the comeback kids,” Stuedeman said. “It has been fun to see them embrace it and have fun with it. When our backs against the wall, that is when we are at our best. It’s a unique situation. It’s hard to get a team to really live for that big moment. That is when we have been at our best.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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