HATTIESBURG — The Mississippi State softball team rallied from two runs down in the final inning to beat Southern Mississippi 3-2 on Tuesday night at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
MSU senior Alexis Silkwood started in the circle and went 5 2/3 innings. She allowed a solo home run in the fourth inning before being for pulled for the eventual winner Cassady Knudsen in the sixth.
Southern Miss (16-16) added one more run before the final frame started.
The rally started when junior Morgan Bell reached base with one out. Kat Moore walked before Bevia Robinson’s fielder’s choice loaded the bases for Calyn Adams. The junior worked a walk that scored Amanda Ivy, who was pinch running for Bell. Reggie Harrison then singled up the middle to make it 3-2.
Knudsen (5-2) sealed the victory with three strikeouts for MSU (25-9).
Harrison went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Bulldogs. Senior Caroline Seitz reached base three times via a single and two walks. Emily Heimberger accounted for the MSU’s fifth hit with a single in the fifth.
Kim Crowson (6-6) took the loss. She allowed three runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Samantha Reynolds, Jade Lewis, Tori Dew had hits for the Golden Eagles.
MSU will play host to Mississippi Valley State at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Nusz Park. The game will be televised by SECNetwork+ via the WatchESPN app.
Southern Miss will take on Jackson State today in Jackson. It will take on Marshall this weekend in a Conference USA series.
n Alabama’s Murphy earns 1,000th career win: At Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Coach Patrick Murphy’s 1,000th career victory didn’t come easy Tuesday night, but No. 9 Alabama rallied to defeat Kent State 5-3 to help Murphy become the 16th active Division I coach to hit 1,000 wins.
“I didn’t think about it or talk about it,” Murphy said when asked about approaching the milestone. “I know they’ve talked about it behind the scenes, but I didn’t mention it at all over the weekend or today. It’s about the team, not me. I think they realize that.”
Murphy is the 23rd coach in Division I softball history to reach 1,000 wins, and is the 16th active coach to reach the milestone. He is the seventh SEC coach to reach 1,000 wins, joining Tennessee’s Ralph and Karen Weekly, Texas A&M’s Jo Evans, Auburn’s Clint Meyers, Georgia’s Lu Harris-Champer, and former South Carolina coach Joyce Compton.
“These players have been terrific to coach since day one,” Murphy said. “All of them through all 19 teams. Everyone on the team and all the support staff are tremendous role models. It’s not just about one person.”
For the fourth-consecutive game, Alabama (31-4) fell behind early as Kent State (10-16) scored one in the top of the first. The Crimson Tide tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning and took a 3-1 lead in the second before a two-run home run in the top of the third tied it again. A solo home run by Mari Cranek broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth. An RBI single by Sydney Booker added insurance.
Demi Turner again set the pace at the top of the order, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Claire Jenkins had two of the team’s five RBIs on a two-run single, and Booker was 3-for-3 at the bottom of the order.
Sydney Littlejohn (12-1) went the distance in the complete-game victory, striking out 10.
Alabama will play a three-game series this weekend at Missouri (18-13, 1-4 Southeastern Conference). Game 1 will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
n No. 24 Ole Miss faces Jacksonville State: At Jacksonville, Alabama, the No. 24 Ole Miss softball team will take on Jacksonville State at 5 p.m. today at University Field.
Ole Miss (22-9) remained at No. 24 in the NFCA Coaches Poll. It has been ranked in that poll for four-straight weeks. Ole Miss will try to bounce back from a three-game sweep last weekend at then-No. 19 Tennessee.
Jacksonville State (21-9) is coming off a 3-1 week last week.
Junior Colleges
No. 12 East Central Community College sweeps Copiah-Lincoln C.C.: At Decatur, Former New Hope High School and Heritage Academy standout Kaitlyn Oswalt threw a one-hit shutout, and former Caledonia High standout Cassie Obman hit a two-run home run to lead the No. 12 East Central Community College softball team to a 11-0 and a 7-4 victory against Copiah-Lincoln in a Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) doubleheader.
No. 12 ECCC (28-4, 13-3 MACJC) hit three home runs in the first game. Obman had three hits.
Oswalt earned her 16th win of the year, the most among National Junior College Athletic Association Division II pitchers.
In Game 2, Obman had an RBI single and Oswalt earned the save for Mackenzie Rousseau.
ECCC will face No. 12 Itawamba C.C. at 1 p.m. Saturday in a doubleheader.
n No. 12 Itawamba C.C. sweeps Coahoma C.C.: At Fulton, Former East Webster High standout Mamie Hollenhead had four hits in Game 1 and three more in Game 2 to lead the No. 12 Itawamba C.C. to 12-0 and 15-4 victories against Coahoma C.C. on Tuesday.
Hollenhead had a double and a triple in the Game 1. McKenzie Piper added three hits in Game 1, while Meg Sullivan had three hits in Game 2. Hollenhead had two doubles. Alex Brown had a home run for ICC (20-8-1, 9-3).
ICC will play Northwest Mississippi C.C. in a doubleheader at 2 p.m. Thursday.
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