For the fourth-straight weekend, the Mississippi State softball team finished a Southeastern Conference series without a win.
Since March 19, the Bulldogs have lost 14 straight SEC games, including all three games this past weekend in Baton Rouge against No. 15 LSU and now sit in last place in the conference at 3-14.
Here is what we learned from MSU’s latest showing in conference play.
Chloe Malau’ulu, Aquana Brownlee were big at the plate, but not much else from MSU’s lineup
Mala’ulu and Brownlee were responsible for all five of MSU’s RBIs during the series. Malau’ulu drove in the Bulldogs’ lone run in Friday’s 7-1 loss and added another RBI in Saturday’s 10-4 defeat. Brownless hit a three-run homer in that game to give MSU a 4-2 lead, but a seven-run fourth inning by LSU erased any chance of an upset. The Tigers then came back and blanked the bulldogs 8-0 in a six-inning Sunday affair.
Outside of Brownlee and Malau’ulu, who rank No. 1 and 2 for MSU in hits this season and combined for seven in the series,, the Bulldogs received hits from Madisyn Kennedy (2), Jackie McKenna (2), Brylie St. Clair (1), Nadia Barbary (1), Paige Cook (1), Shea Moreno (1), Riley Hull (1).
Bulldogs aren’t getting many innings out of starters
Two of LSU’s pitchers, Sydney Berzon and Ali Kilponen, threw complete games during the weekend’s series, combining for 13 innings, one earned run, eight hits and 16 strikeouts.
MSU’s three starters, Matalasi Faapito, who started Friday and Sunday and Aspen Wesley, Saturday’s starter, combined for only half of that. The Bulldogs got 6 2/3 innings out of their starters this weekend, allowing 13 runs, 11 of which were earned.
MSU’s offense, which has been shut out six times during its SEC losing streak, hasn’t had the offensive firepower to climb out of the holes created by its starting pitching.
What’s next
MSU returns to Nusz Park this weekend to play its final home series of the season against No. 20 Kentucky.
Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.
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