Errors Doom Iowa State In 9-3 Loss

Friday, February 9

Starkville, Miss.

2:00 PM

Iowa State

Mississippi State

02.09.2007 | Softball

By: Iowa State University

STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Mississippi State took advantage of five Iowa State errors to pick up a 9-3 win over the Cyclones Friday afternoon in Starkville, Miss.

Things were looking good for the Cyclones (0-2) as they grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the first inning. Fallon Johnson led off the inning with a single, beating out a chopper to shortstop to get the Cyclone offense going. The next batter, Courtney Wray, walked as Johnson took off for second. Mississippi State catcher Blair Hewitt's throw sailed into the outfield and Johnson raced in to put ISU on top 1-0.

Freshman Alex Johnson drove in her second run of the season, roping a single up the middle to score Wray and make it 2-0 in favor of the Cyclones.

Four errors by the Cyclones helped Mississippi State (1-0) to a six-run second inning. After Sammie Jo Bailey singled to lead off the second, the Bulldogs' Katie Cooley reached on an error and Hewitt drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.

Jessie Bailey then doubled to score Cooley and Chelsea Bramlett singled to add another run. The Cyclones then committed errors on three consecutive batters as the Bulldogs increased their lead to 6-2.

MSU added a pair of runs in the third and one in the fourth to go up 9-2.

The Cyclones would get one back in the sixth on a Jennifer Bigbee single that scored Katie Reichling, who doubled down the left field line with one out in the inning. That would be all the scoring Iowa State would get as Sara Hickerson held off the Cyclones the rest of the way.

Bigbee went 2-for-3 in the game with a single and a double to lead the Cyclones, who stranded four base runners in the game.

Bramlett led Mississippi State with a 2-for-5 performance in her first collegiate appearance.

Amie Ford (0-1) took the loss for the Cyclones, giving up nine runs on ten hits. Only four of the runs surrendered by Ford were earned.

Kelli Miller (1-0) got the win for Mississippi State, going five innings and allowing two runs on three hits.

The Cyclones will return to action Saturday as they face Purdue at 10 a.m. followed by Mississippi State in a 4 p.m. contest.