For the first time in program history, Mississippi State’s softball team is headed to the Women’s College World Series.
Faced with elimination or glory, the No. 3 Bulldogs reached for the latter on Sunday in Game 3 the Norman Super Regional and shocked the college softball world with a 6-0 shutout of No. 3 Oklahoma to earn the right to play for a national championship. The loss for the Sooners is their first Super Regional defeat at home since 2007. State’s win halts eight-time national champion Oklahoma’s reign of consecutive runs to the WCWS at 10.
In order to take down a softball Goliath, excellent pitching and productive hitting is needed – and State brought both to Sunday’s series clincher with a heap of attitude. Delainey Everett, who helped seal the team’s Game 1 win from the circle on Friday, delivered the goods again on the biggest stage in program history by holding one of the nation’s best offensive teams to just three hits – in the first complete game of her college career – while her offense played loose, free and took advantage.
Kinley Keller hit a two-run single in the first inning and another one-run hit in the third inning to give the Bulldogs a sudden and shocking 3-0 command, but the Bulldogs wanted more. Peja Ernestes sent the first pitch she saw in the fourth inning screaming over the left field wall of Love’s Field to send the team into an even deeper broccoli-waving frenzy, and Morgan Bernardini put the stamp on the game in the fifth inning with another solo blast.
With the Sooners’ backs against the wall, Everett kept on throwing flames and forced Oklahoma into a lineout, flyout and foul out in the sixth, and did much of the same in the seventh to seal the triumph.
Just like in Game 1, Sunday’s series finale ended just the same – a giant dog pile with Everett in the center.
“An underdog is still a freaking dog, ” Everett said in an interview after the game.”That’s what I’m talking about. We knew it, we were on the bus – everything that we’ve worked for came through today and we are not done yet.”
State is now headed to Oklahoma City for the WCWS where it is joined by Tennessee, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Arkansas, Alabama, UCLA and either Texas or Arizona State in the hunt for the national championship.
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