Bell’s Bomb Leads MSU To Series Victory Against South Carolina

Sunday, April 9

Starkville

12:00 PM

Mississippi State

29-13, 4-8

South Carolina

23-16, 3-11

South Carolina

Mississippi State

Morgan Bell's two-run homer in the fourth inning made the difference in MSU's series-clinching win on Sunday.

Bell’s Bomb Leads MSU To Series Victory Against South Carolina

April 09, 2017 | Softball

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – When the ball left Morgan Bell's bat in the fourth inning, there was no doubt it was going over the wall in right center. Behind that two-run blast, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (29-13, 4-8 SEC) defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks (23-16, 3-11 SEC) to the tune of 5-2, securing their first SEC series win of the 2017 season.

Bell's homer came with the game tied at 2-2, giving State its first lead of the game and all it would need to finish off the visitors from Columbia, S.C.

It was not the only home run on the day, as USC opened up the scoring with a two-run home run of their own in the third to go up 2-0. From there, the Dogs went to work chipping away at the lead.

State's first run came in the third, as back-to-back singles and a sac bunt led to Alexis Silkwood scoring on a passed ball. MSU completed its 12^th comeback of the season an inning later, leading off with a double from Reggie Harrison. Harrison would move to third on a groundout and then crossed home plate thanks to a perfectly executed squeeze by Calyn Adams, tying the game up at 2-2.

Next batter up, Bell put the Dogs out in front for good. On a 2-1 pitch, Bell launched her third homer of the season and seventh of her career over the wall in right center to put MSU up 4-2.

After a scoreless fifth on both sides, the Bulldogs went back to work in the sixth. Adams would reach safely on a fielder's choice and then move to second on her first-career stolen base. That would set up an RBI single from Silkwood, pushing MSU's lead to 5-2.

USC looked to rally in the seventh, getting the leadoff batter on via walk. Silkwood would turn a 1-3 double play to record the first two outs, but the Gamecocks fired back with a single. Silkwood would give way to Holly Ward, who worked around another two-out single to shut down the game and earn her first save of the year.

A total of three pitchers saw action on the day for MSU. Cassady Knudsen (6-3) received the decision, throwing 3.0 innings and striking out seven while allowing just one hit and no runs. Silkwood earned the start, throwing 3.2 innings and striking out three, while Ward earned the last out to get her third-career save.

The Bulldogs will be without a midweek and then will head to Athens, Ga., for their third road SEC series of the year. The series starts Friday, April 14 and all three games will be streamed on SEC Network +.

Series Schedule Against South Carolina…
Friday, April 7 – South Carolina def. Mississippi State, 3-0
Saturday, April 8 – Mississippi State def. South Carolina, 6-4
Sunday, April 9 – Mississippi State def. South Carolina, 5-2

Scoring Plays Versus South Carolina…
3^rd Inning – With Alexis Silkwood on third base, South Carolina delivered a passed ball, allowing Silkwood to come home and cut the USC lead to 2-1
4^th Inning – Calyn Adams laid down a perfect sac bunt and Reggie Harrison beat the throw home to tie the ballgame up at 2-2
4^th Inning – Morgan Bell crushed a 2-1 pitch to right center, hitting a two-run homer to put MSU ahead 4-2
6^th Inning – Alexis Silkwood singled to left center, scoring Calyn Adams to add an insurance run for the Maroon and White, upping MSU's lead to 5-2

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)

Bell's Blast Makes The Difference…
Morgan Bell's two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning was the difference in Sunday's series-clinching victory for the Dogs, as it put State up for good. The homer is the third of her season and seventh of her career. The three bombs tie her career high for most homers in a season.

Series Victory For The Dogs…
Sunday's victory clinched the first SEC series of the season for the Maroon and White, as the Bulldogs took the final two games of the weekend. That marks the first series win for MSU in SEC play since taking the series from Arkansas in April 2015.

Home Sweet Home…
The Bulldogs now have 20 home victories for the year with Sunday's win, marking the second time in the Vann Stuedeman era that MSU has reached that mark. Stuedeman's 2015 squad was the other team to capture 20 home wins in a season.

Ward With The Save…
Holly Ward was the third MSU pitcher to see time in the circle on Sunday, closing out State's 5-2 victory. That marked her first save of the 2017 season and third of her career. Her last save came April 13 of last season at Louisiana Tech.

Knudsen Notches Another W…
Cassady Knudsen received the win on Sunday, moving her season total to six. Knudsen's six victories are a career high for wins in a season, besting the four she had last year.

Adams Steals For The First Time…
Calyn Adams has about done it all this weekend and on Sunday she added another achievement to the list. Adams earned her first-career stolen base by swiping second in the sixth inning. That steal set up her being driven home thanks to an RBI single from Alexis Silkwood.

Up Next…
The Bulldogs and Gamecocks face off tomorrow in the final game of the weekend with the series on the line. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. CT from Nusz Park. Fans can catch all the action in person, as there is free admission to all games at Nusz or on SEC Network +, which can be accessed through WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.

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".