Mississippi State Softball Remains Undefeated with Double Header Sweep Saturday at Mardi Gras Invitational

The Mississippi State Bulldogs continued their winning ways Saturday, knocking off the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (5-4) and the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars at the Mardi Gras Invitational at South Alabama.

In the first game of the afternoon, the Bulldogs (8-0) picked up a 6-0 victory that was perhaps most notable for the performance of freshman pitcher Cori Cooper.  Making her first start with the Bulldogs, she carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before giving up a one-out single.

The Bulldogs ended up with all of the runs they needed in the first inning when Kayla Winkfield scored on an RBI single from Caroline Seitz to put Mississippi State up 1-0.

Amanda Ivy and Katie Anne Bailey drove in two more runs in the second to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.

In the fourth, Ivy drove in another run and later scored on an error to push the Mississippi State lead to 5-0.

Emily Heimberger drove in the game's final run in the sixth.

Cooper finished the complete game effort with four strikeouts.

In the second game, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead and never trailed in a 7-4 win over SIU-Edwardsville.

In the first, Mississippi State picked up three hits and two stolen bases to take a 2-0 lead, and Bailey added to that lead in the second with a sacrifice fly to put the Bulldogs ahead 3-0.

In the third, Morgan Bell smashed a three-run homer to put Mississippi State ahead 6-0.

The Cougars (3-5) got one run back in the bottom of the fourth, but Seitz provided an immediate answer in the top of the fifth with a solo roundtripper to put the Bulldogs up 7-1.

In the sixth, starting pitcher Cassady Knudsen (2-0) gave way to Mackenzie Toler in relief. The Bulldogs had a few struggles, but Holly Ward ended the game with a strike out with the bases loaded for the Cougars to earn her first save of the season.

Knudsen finished her efforts by striking out three and allowing one run in five innings of work.

On the day, Heimberger finished 5-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored.  Seitz finished 4-for-6 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Mississippi State closes out play in Mobile at 12:15 Sunday against Samford.