STARKVILLE — Mississippi State softball coach Vann Stuedeman told her team to treat Wednesday night’s midweek game against No. 1 LSU just like any other midweek game.
Then she told her standout pitcher something different.
The non-conference game between Southeastern Conference rivals was designed to enhance both teams’ Ratings Percentage Indexes (RPI) and postseason hopes, but MSU got the most mileage out of the game thanks to a 9-4 upset before a standing-room only crowd at the MSU Softball Field.
MSU (30-10) ran its winning streak to six, while LSU (36-4) suffered its largest margin of defeat of the season. The Bulldogs’ RPI of 22 will receive a huge boost from the win, as the Tigers were rated second in that ranking, which is used by the NCAA tournament selection committee to pick the at-large teams for the 64-team field.
“Coach told us this was like any other midweek game,” MSU junior shortstop Kayla Winkfield. “You know better because it the No. 1 team in the nation. You really can’t get caught up in that. You have to focus on the process. You have to treat this game like you treated the first game. If you get caught up in the moment, you won’t perform well.
“So yes, it’s like any other midweek game. However, after you win, then you can admit it really wasn’t.”
Sophomore Alexis Silkwood leads the SEC with 22 victories and is second with 166 strikeouts. Due to a lack of pitching depth, it hasn’t been uncommon for Silkwood to draw some midweek starts, especially based on the strength of the opponent. On Wednesday, Stuedeman wanted Silkwood to think she was pitching in a SEC series opener.
“We told Alexis that was like a Friday night in the Southeastern Conference,” Stuedeman said. “Most weekend series, she pitches twice, so this was unique. We told her to remember (LSU) would only see her once this season, so that means she could go out and show them everything.
“This was a tremendous win for our program, and we know when we have tremendous wins, Alexis is going to be involved.”
Silkwood has won back-to-back SEC Pitcher of the Week awards. In a weekend series sweep in Arkansas, Silkwood won two games and saved the other. Less than 40 hours after getting back from Fayetteville, Arkansas, she returned to the circle to throw her league-best 18th complete game.
“This is why you play the game,” Silkwood said. “The stands were full of our fans and the place was going to nuts. How could you not want to be out there in that? It’s like this is a midweek game. But, oh yeah, it’s against the No. 1 team in the nation. Winning game a like this really puts this team over the top.”
MSU beat the nation’s top-ranked team for the second time in program history. The other was a 2002 win against Arizona State. This season, MSU is 6-6 against ranked opponents, including one win against Florida, which was ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the major polls at the time of the game.
To see such a convincing performance was impressive considering the Bulldogs’ recent travels. MSU won a midweek game against Lipscomb last Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee. MSU bussed on Good Friday and played Saturday, Sunday, and Monday against Arkansas. After arriving in Starkville prior to sun up Tuesday, MSU hit the diamond again Wednesday to take on LSU. The team was scheduled to leave at 8:45 this morning for a three-game conference series at No. 21 Missouri, which begins Friday.
“It can break you, I will be the first to admit it,” Stuedeman said. “Between classwork, exams, homework, and trying to play softball at a very high level, it can be hard. The main thing about this team is the girls genuinely love one another. They care about each other. When one is down, we are all down. It’s a special group. It’s a unique bond. A team not made of character could not navigating these challenges with the success we have been having.”
LSU entered the game with a 1.37 ERA (second best in the nation). The Tigers’ three previous losses had all been in SEC play by a total of six runs. Stuedeman said LSU had four pitchers who could be a legitimate No. 1 option for many of the other teams in the league.
The Bulldogs did damage against the three they faced. LSU starter Allie Walljasper allowed five hits and three runs (two earned) in 1 2/3 innings. Reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Carley Hoover gave up four hits and four runs (two earned) in 3 1/3 innings.
“Credit to LSU for being willing to play this game,” Stuedeman said. “It’s a game that will help both teams in the long run. There was no midweek aspect to this game other than the day in which it was played. They threw their best. We threw our best. It was a tremendous atmosphere and a landmark win for our program.”
MSU scored two runs in the first inning and never trailed. The Bulldogs won by collecting 11 hits from seven players.
Silkwood appeared to be tiring from her tremendous workload when the Tigers finally broke through for two runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-2. With runners at second and third, Silkwood recorded back-to-back outs to escape.
When it needed to respond, MSU scored four runs in the sixth, including a massive two-run home run by Silkwood, her third of the year.
“It’s all about confidence,” Winkfield. “We are playing softball at a different level than has ever been played before out here. It’s exciting. We are staying within ourselves and focusing on what has to happen on that day. We treated this like any other game.
“Coach Vann always tells us to grind out every at-bat and when the game is over then you look up at the scoreboard. Tonight, when we looked up, we really liked what we saw.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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