Monster Day From Seitz Sends MSU To Series Win At No. 19 Georgia

Sunday, April 16

Athens, Ga.

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

31-14, 0

#19 Georgia

29-15, 0

Mississippi State

Georgia

Caroline Seitz capped her weekend against No. 19 Georgia with four home runs, including two on Sunday afternoon.

Monster Day From Seitz Sends MSU To Series Win At No. 19 Georgia

April 16, 2017 | Softball

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ATHENS, Ga. – When it was all set and done on Sunday, there was no doubt that Caroline Seitz left her mark on Jack Turner Stadium. Behind her two home runs and three RBIs, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (31-14, 6-9 SEC) defeated the No. 19 Georgia Bulldogs (29-15, 3-12 SEC), 5-2, to capture their second-straight SEC series win.

To say that Seitz had a monster weekend would be an understatement to most, as the senior finished the weekend 7-for-10 with 14 RBIs, four home runs (two grand slams), four runs scored, a scorching 1.900 slugging percentage and a .667 OBP. She became the first in school history to hit four home runs in an SEC weekend series and became the first Bulldog since Mackenzie Toler (May 2, 2015 at South Carolina) to hit two home runs in a game.

On top of her home runs, Seitz has also hit safely in seven-straight games, which sets a new career high.

Seitz's home run-palooza this weekend spearheaded MSU's second-straight SEC series win of the year, as State took down South Carolina last weekend at home. It's the first time since 2015 that MSU has won multiple SEC series in a campaign, as that year the Dogs took down No. 19 Texas A&M at home and Arkansas on the road.

The weekend victory also marked the end of Georgia's run of five-straight series wins against MSU. The Maroon and White captured its first series win against UGA since April 19-20, 2008 in Starkville. It's also the first series win in Athens since April 21-22, 2007.

Georgia didn't make it easy on MSU to start, as the home team grabbed a two-run lead in the third frame. A pair of RBI singles gave UGA a 2-0 lead, but that wouldn't last long thanks to the power of Seitz's swing.

After a Kat Moore walk led off the inning, Reggie Harrison moved her to second on a groundout. That brought up Seitz, who took the third pitch of the at-bat to the scoreboard in left, tying the game up at 2-2. MSU wasn't finished either, as a Calyn Adams' single and a pair of walks loaded the bases for Amanda Ivy. She would reach safely and two runs would score thanks to a Georgia error, putting MSU up 4-2.

An inning later, Seitz returned to the plate and only needed two pitches to send one out of the park. Her fourth bomb provided an insurance run for the Maroon and White, putting her squad up 5-2.

From there, senior Alexis Silkwood kept the home team at bay en route to her 13^th victory of the season. Over the last four innings, Silkwood allowed just two batters to reach base and recorded 1-2-3 frames in the sixth and seventh to slam the door on UGA. Outside of the third inning, Silkwood only let one UGA batter get past first base, keeping the home team on lockdown.

Adams also recorded a hit on the day and scored a run on Seitz's first homer. Along with Seitz and Adams, five other Bulldogs reached base safely due to the walks.

The Bulldogs will return to action on Tuesday, April 18, heading to the west side of the state to take on Alcorn State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT. Following the midweek, State returns home to Nusz Park for a three-game series against Arkansas. The series begins Saturday, April 22 at 5 p.m. CT. All three games will be nationally televised on the SEC Network.

Series Schedule Against Georgia…
Friday, April 14 – Mississippi State def. No. 19 Georgia, 9-4
Saturday, April 15 – No. 19 Georgia def. Mississippi State, 7-6
Sunday, April 16 – Mississippi State def. No. 19 Georgia, 5-2

Scoring Plays Versus No. 19 Georgia…
4^th Inning – Caroline Seitz unloads on a 1-1 pitch, sending a two-run shot off the scoreboard to tie things up at 2-2
4^th Inning – A Georgia fielding error brings home two more MSU runs, pushing State into a 4-2 advantage
5^th Inning – Because three weren't enough, Seitz connects for her fourth bomb of the weekend, giving MSU a 5-2 lead and becoming the first players in MSU history to hit four home runs in an SEC weekend series

Bulldog Home Run Tracker…

Reggie Harrison vs. Fresno State, Feb. 16, 2017 (0 on, 0 outs)
Morgan Bell vs. North Florida, Feb. 24, 2017 (0 on, 0 outs)
Reggie Harrison vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2017 (1 on, 1 out)
Olivia Golden vs. Eastern Illinois, Feb. 24, 2017 (0 on, 1 out)
Olivia Golden vs. Southern Illinois, Feb. 26, 2017 (2 on, 2 outs)
Morgan Bell at Southeastern Louisiana, Feb. 28, 2017 (0 on, 2 outs)
Olivia Golden at Southeastern Louisiana, Feb. 28, 2017 (0 on, 0 outs)
Katie Anne Bailey at Southeastern Louisiana, Feb. 28, 2017 (1 on, 1 out)
Caroline Seitz vs. Samford, March 3, 2017 (2 on, 1 out)
Katie Anne Bailey vs. UMass, March 3, 2017 (0 on, 0 outs)
Reggie Harrison vs. Samford, March 4, 2017 (1 on, 0 outs)
Caroline Seitz vs. Samford, March 4, 2017 (0 on, 1 out)
Olivia Golden at No. 5 Texas A&M, March 10, 2017 (2 on, 1 out)
Reggie Harrison vs. No. 8 Alabama, March 17, 2017 (1 on, 1 out)
Calyn Adams vs. No. 12 Oklahoma, March 24, 2017 (0 on, 2 outs)
Morgan Bell vs. South Carolina, April 9, 2017 (1 on, 1 out)
Caroline Seitz at No. 19 Georgia, April 14, 2017 (3 on, 1 out)
Caroline Seitz at No. 19 Georgia, April 15, 2017 (3 on, 2 outs)
Caroline Seitz at No. 19 Georgia, April 16, 2017 (1 on, 1 out)
Caroline Seitz at No. 19 Georgia, April 16, 2017 (0 on, 2 outs)

Seitz Caps Monster Weekend In Athens…
To say that Seitz had a monster weekend would be an understatement to most, as the senior finished the weekend 7-for-10 with 14 RBIs, four home runs (two grand slams), four runs scored, a scorching 1.900 slugging percentage and a .667 OBP. She became the first in school history to hit four home runs in an SEC weekend series and became the first Bulldog since Mackenzie Toler (May 2, 2015 at South Carolina) to hit two home runs in a game.

With Sunday's two home runs, Seitz now has 34 bombs for her career. She is three away from tying Iyhia McMichael (2001-04) for second place and 10 short of tying Kellie Wilkerson (1999-02) for MSU's all-time record.

Also of note is the major jump in batting average Seitz made. The senior started the weekend with a .268 clip and finished with a .301 average, making it five Dogs with .300-plus averages.

Dogs Go Back-To-Back With SEC Series Wins…
For the first time since 2015, the Bulldogs captured multiple SEC series wins, defeating South Carolina and No. 19 Georgia. That season MSU took down No. 19 Texas A&M at home and Arkansas on the road.

It is also the first time since 2014 that the Dogs have captured back-to-back SEC series. That season MSU defeated No. 3 Alabama at home, No. 4 Tennessee in Knoxville and Arkansas at home in consecutive weekends.

MSU Wins The Battle Of The Bulldogs…
Sunday's series-clinching victory didn't just give MSU back-to-back SEC series wins, but also broke UGA's winning streak in the overall series. State won its first series against Georgia since April 19-20, 2008 and won a series in Athens for the first time since April 21-22, 2007.

State Tops 2016 Home Run Total…
Thanks to Caroline Seitz's four-homer weekend, the Bulldogs now have 20 bombs this season. That total bests the 18 the Dogs hit last season.

Up Next…
The Bulldogs will return to action on Tuesday, April 18, heading to the west side of the state to take on Alcorn State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT. Following the midweek, State returns home to Nusz Park for a three-game series against Arkansas. The series begins Saturday, April 22 at 5 p.m. CT. All three games will be nationally televised on the SEC Network.

Social Media…
For more on Mississippi State softball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap".