A hot start will get you comfortable very quickly, and that’s exactly what happened with the Mississippi State softball squad tonight. The first inning was full of hits as the Bulldogs were able to rattle off 5 hits in the first frame of action against Middle Tennessee State. This came following a 2-hit, 1-run inning by the Lady Raiders that saw their lead disappear quickly in this one.

Freshman pitcher Holly Ward started off this game for the Bulldogs, and after struggling in that first inning she was able to settle into a groove. She gave up 1 ER on 2 H, 2 BB, and 2Ks in 5 innings for the win. Ward got some tremendous help from her defensive teammates, that kept the Blue Raiders from getting anything started on the bases. The same cannot be said for Middle Tennessee’s Kelsey Cheney. After the Bulldogs’ 5-hit, 4-run first inning, Cheney was never able to get back into a groove. The Bulldogs punished her with a 12-hit, 8 ER game for the Blue Raider pitcher before she was pulled after 4 innings. She ended up picking up the loss in this one, which is certainly not the way she wanted to start off the season.

The Bulldogs were led in hitting by Senior right-fielder Ashley Phillips. In 4 at-bats for the Bulldogs, she was able to pull out 3 hits and a walk, accounting for 3 of the Bulldogs’ runs, including the game-winner courtesy of a Calyn Adams hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded. While the senior wasn’t able to put in any runs in with her bat, her smart base-running gave the Bulldogs run-producing opportunities throughout the game. While she was certainly great on the basepaths, Katie Anne Bailey was on fire with the bat. She went 4-for-4 from the plate and brought in 1 run, while taking in 2 herself. She started off the game with a triple in the first inning to bring in Phillips, following her reach on a fielder’s choice.

The Bulldogs ended up with 13 hits tonight, which certainly spells good news for the Bulldogs’ season if this offensive production can continue. The Bulldogs extend their record to 2-0 tonight, and will face off against Saint Louis Billikens tomorrow at 11:30 AM. Immediately following that game, the Bulldogs will face the Austin Peay Governors. Both games will be at the MSU Softball Complex, and games are free to the public. So be sure to go out and support this Bulldog squad as they continue this great season.