A roller coaster of emotions may not even be enough to describe this season so far for Mississippi State softball. The Bulldogs started conference play 0-13 and rallied to finish 8-15 in SEC play including a seven-game win streak to end the regular season.
The late-season surge was enough to earn an NCAA Regional berth, which Mississippi State will begin against Boston University at 3:30 p.m. Friday in Stillwater, Oklahoma
“I think we’ve been playing our best softball at the end of the season,” MSU coach Samantha Ricketts said after Thursday’s practice. “I think the testament to our turnaround this month has been the belief and the team not giving in and packing it up.”
The Terriers, who boast a 36-2 record on the year, should not be taken lightly. Like the the Bulldogs, they’re on fire as of late — winners of 18 straight and a Patriot League championship.
Mississippi State, however, is certainly not going to take its opponent lightly.
“We’re going to make sure that we’re ready and not looking too far ahead and know that we have to play our best game against them on all sides of the ball as well,” Ricketts said.
With a win on Friday, the Bulldogs will face the winner of Oklahoma State and Campbell. With a loss to the Terriers, Mississippi State would enter the losers’ bracket, where another loss would eliminate the Bulldogs from a Cinderella run.
MSU hasn’t been an easy out itself in recent play, making quick work of rival Ole Miss in a 3-1 victory behind Carter Spexarth’s three hits in the first round of the SEC tournament before falling to No. 1 seed Florida in the next round.
Mississippi State seemed like it had victory in sight with a 2-0 lead over Florida going into the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a Jackie McKenna two-run double. But that’s when the Gators did their damage, when Kendyl Lindaman and Charla Echols both hit three-run bombs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. Natalie Lugo set down the Bulldogs in order in the top of the seventh to seal the victory for the Gators.
Now, Mississippi State turns its attention to Stillwater, Oklahoma, as the Bulldogs play in No. 5 seed Oklahoma State’s regional.
“They’re a great team with a great head coach and great pitching, but at the end of the day, we’re just focusing on us and what we do, and we’re ready to get after it,” senior pitcher Alyssa Loza said.
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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