KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the second time in as many Sundays, the Mississippi State softball team clinched a Southeastern Conference series with a victory.
This time, MSU used a seven-run sixth inning to erase a one-run deficit en route to an 11-7 victory against No. 4 Tennessee.
MSU had led 4-1 going to the bottom of the fifth before the Lady Volunteers scored four times to take a 5-4 lead.
The Bulldogs’ sixth included six hits, two suicide squeeze bunts, two walks, two errors, and a hit batter. Freshman Caroline Seitz went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two scored. Senior Logan Foulks had two hits, including a two-run home run, and three RBIs.
With the triumph, MSU is the first program to win series against Alabama and Tennessee in the same season since Florida took two-of-three games from the Crimson Tide and swept the Lady Volunteers in 2011. MSU is the fourth program in the past 10 years to accomplish the feat, joining Florida (2011, 2009), LSU (2007), and Georgia (2005).
MSU improved to 35-15 and tied with the 2008 squad for the best 50-game mark in program history. The Bulldogs improved to 7-11 in the SEC, which is the fifth most overall regular-season wins by a team in program history. The victory also is MSU’s seventh against a top-25 foe this season, which is tied for the third most in a campaign in program history.
Freshman Alexis Silkwood allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings on five hits and five walks. She struck out four. Senior Alison Owen (17-9) threw 2 2/3 innings to get the win. She allowed three hits and three runs. She walked two and struck out two.
Tennessee’s Ellen Renfroe (23-5) threw 4 1/3 innings, yielding eight runs (seven earned) on six hits. She hit three hit, walked three, and struck out four. Rainey Gaffin recorded two outs to end the top of the fifth. Renfroe re-entered in the top of the sixth but didn’t record an out. Erin Gabriel came in for the final two innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on three hits.
In the bottom of the fifth, Tennessee (36-8, 12-6 SEC) scored four times, three with two outs, to take a 5-4 lead. With one out, Madison Shipman hit a home run to left to cut the deficit to 4-2. Annie Aldrete doubled to left center and Melissa Davin walked. Owen entered for Silkwood and recorded a strikeout before walking Cheyanne Tarango to load the bases with two down. Pinch hitter Hannah Akamine delivered a two-run single to right center that evened the score. A dribbler in front of the plate by Alley Perkins allowed Tarango to score and put the Lady Vols ahead by one run.
The Bulldogs answered in the top of the sixth. Kayla Winkfield led off with her second walk and Renfroe re-entered the circle. Katie Anne Bailey followed with a single to center and senior Jessica Offutt walked to load the bases with no outs. Senior Heidi Shape hit an 0-2 pitch through the left side for a single that tied the game. Seitz bounced a single over Perkins’ head that plated Bailey for a 6-5 advantage. Gabriel entered and Logan Foulks put down a suicide squeeze that delivered Offutt for a two-run advantage. After a strikeout, junior Julia Echols dropped down a squeeze that plated Shape. Seitz also scored after the throw to first base went wide to make it a 9-5. With runners on the corners and one out, sophomore Loryn Nichols was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Winkfield drove in a run with a single to left and Davin booted the ball to allow Foulks and Echols to score. A pop out and strikeout ended the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, Tennessee got two runs back for an 11-7 deficit. After a walk to Megan Geer started the frame, Shipman homered. Owen retired the next three in order to end the threat.
Owen sent down the Lady Volunteers in order in the seventh to seal the victory.
MSU will return to action Friday to begin Senior Weekend. It will play host to Arkansas at 5 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday and Sunday.
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