Lexi Sosa, a two-way player in her sixth season of college softball, entered Friday with just one career home run. That came in 2020, when Sosa was a true freshman at UCLA.
After capping her stellar weekend with two blasts to lead No. 19 Mississippi State past Georgia Tech on Sunday, Sosa now has five collegiate homers. She drove in 13 runs over the last four games at The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial tournament as the Bulldogs improved their record to 9-1.
“It’s been super awesome,” Sosa said. “It’s a lot of extra time, a lot of behind the scenes work with all of the girls. Being able to have those moments and embracing it all and just having fun is the most important thing.”
MSU struck early and often in Friday’s first game against North Texas (8-2), taking the lead in the first inning on Kiarra Sells’ RBI double. Sells took a bases-loaded walk in the second and later scored on Sosa’s two-run single that made it a 6-0 game. The Mean Green battled back and trimmed the deficit to 6-5 in the fourth, but the Bulldogs scored four runs each in the fourth and fifth to end the game early via the run rule, 14-5.
Freshman Paige Ernstes hit a pinch-hit, three-run home run for her first collegiate long ball, and Sosa finished things off with a three-run homer of her own off the right-field foul pole.
In Friday’s second game against Bradley (2-8), Jessie Blaine started the scoring for MSU with a two-run single in the first. The Braves took the lead in the second on a three-run shot by Ashley Breed, but those were all the runs they would get against Josey Marron, who pitched 6 ⅔ innings before Delainey Everett got the final out. Sells hit a two-run homer in the fourth that was the difference in the Bulldogs’ 5-3 victory.
“Kiarra is just locked in and she’s swinging the bat,” MSU head coach Samantha Ricketts said. “She’s going to find a way to get a good piece every time she’s up there, and it’s so satisfying to see that from a player like her who’s put in her time. She’s really good and worked hard her first two years, learning a lot, getting better and better.”
The Bulldogs’ rematch with Bradley on Saturday was not nearly as close, with MSU scoring six runs in both the first and third innings in a 12-3 win. Sosa hit her second home run of the weekend, Sierra Sacco and Blaine both tripled, and Ernstes, Riley Hull and Kiley Edwards had two hits apiece. Sosa also earned the win in the pitcher’s circle despite a shaky second inning.
Sosa went deep twice and had six RBI in Sunday’s 11-3 Bulldogs win over the Yellow Jackets (7-3). She followed Blaine’s RBI double in the first with a two-run homer, then broke the game wide open in the fourth with a grand slam. Raelin Chaffin struck out nine and issued just one walk in a five-inning complete game.
MSU hosts Samford today in its first midweek game of the season, then travels to Madison, Alabama, this weekend for the Rocket City Softball Showcase at the home of Minor League Baseball’s Rocket City Trash Pandas. The Bulldogs will play North Alabama, Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech and Miami-Ohio over four days at Toyota Field.
“(Sosa) was ready for her opportunity and took it and ran with it,” Ricketts said. “She provides big power off the bench and something we desperately needed to replace Madisyn Kennedy and her production last year. It’s just really great to see her get her chance to shine, and if you talk to Lexi about it, she loves softball again and is just finding the joy of being around her teammates and being out there with everyone every day.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
