No. 20 Bulldogs Continue Hot Start in California

MSU beats Central Florida, Notre Dame but falls to No. 1 Oklahoma in softball.

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – A long road trip to the west coast hasn’t slowed down Mississippi State too much.

The No. 20 Bulldogs started the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a pair of wins against Central Florida and Notre Dame before falling to No. 1 Oklahoma 9-3 late Friday night.

The 2-1 start in California brings the Bulldog’s record 10-2 and follows their appearance in the ESPN.COM/USA Softball Top 25 Poll earlier this week. They also appeared at No. 25 in NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll this week.

It’s a great start to a season that began with Mississippi State being picked to finish last in the SEC Preseason Coach’s Poll. 

The Bulldogs had a chance to make an even bigger statement Friday night and were able to put the Sooners in their largest deficit of the season. Jessie Blane’s two-run home run to put MSU up 2-0, but the lead wouldn’t last long.

Oklahoma scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning. MSU scored another run to start the second inning on a Sierra Sacco single, but it would the final run for the Bulldogs. Oklahoma scored runs in each of the next three innings to build a 9-3 lead and secure their 63rd consecutive victory.

MSU had four different pitchers face the Sooners, with the reigning SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week Aspen Wesley getting the start. She pitched three innings and struck out four batters while allowing five runs on seven hits and no walks. Matalasi Faapito, Delainey Everett and Josey Marron also pitched for MSU.

Offensively, seven Bulldogs recorded at hit and drew six walks as a team.

MSU defeated Central Florida 2-1 in their first game of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Thursday.

Wesley picked up her fourth win of the season inside the circle. Wesley accounted for all but the final out of the game while striking out seven batters and allowing one run on four hits and a walk.

The Bulldogs struck first in the top of the third inning when Nadia Barbary’s double down the left field line drove in Sierra Sacco. They would extend their lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning on a Paige Cook groundout with one out that allowed Brylie St. Clair to score from third base.

MSU had only nine total hits in the game, and Sacco had almost half of them. She went 4-for-4 at the plate with one run scored. Barbary was the only other Bulldog with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Central Florida (6-3) scored its lone run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-out single by Johneisha Rowe.

A few hours later, the Bulldogs secured a 7-4 victory against Notre Dame (6-3).

Lexi Sosa (2-0) earned the win for MSU, pitching five shutout innings in relief of Josey Marron. Marron gave up four runs on five hits and a walk in the first two innings Thursday night. The Irish put up three runs in the top of the first inning, including two on a triple by Mickey Winchell.

But MSU’s offense responded in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of runs on an RBI single by Jessie Blaine and a sacrifice fly by Salen Hawkins.

The Irish came back in the second inning with another run, but they wouldn’t score again. Kylee Edwards tied the game for MSU with a solo home run in the bottom of the second half and on an RBI single the next inning.

Double 'em up 🤘

💻 https://t.co/VhhlgXfi1S#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/4cbts7EQQl

— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) February 23, 2024

MSU took the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Hawkins drove in Cook on a single. Madisyn Kennedy extended the lead later in the inning with a two-run single to left field.

Edwards and Kennedy led MSU at the plate with each going 2-for-3 with two RBIs against Notre Dame

Next up for the Bulldogs is a pair of Saturday games against Cal State Fulerton at 4:30 p.m. and Fresno State at 9:30 p.m.

No. 20 Bulldogs Proving Preseason Predictions Wrong after 8-1 start