GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Bulldog offense exploded on Saturday as No. 13 Mississippi State down No. 5 Florida, 9-4, on Saturday behind a season-high 14 hits. The nine runs were State’s highest scoring output in conference play this year.
Paige Ernstes provided a career-high five RBIs, the most by a Bulldog in any game this season, with a pair of doubles. Morgan Bernardini and Nadia Barbary both homered, and five different players had multiple hits. Eight of nine starters had at least one.
“I love the response. I love that it was different people in the lineup,” head coach Samantha Ricketts said. “We saw a lot of the seniors stepping up and just wanting to answer back, and I think that’s just kind of the mindset we have to come out with and throw some punches every game. Our pitchers are doing a phenomenal job, but we know with that offense over there, they’re going to give up some runs. We need to be ready to fight for our pitchers. I love the energy, the response, the willingness to swing within a plan and pick up runners when we had them out there. Just overall a really good team win.”
State (33-8, 5-6 SEC) led 2-0 entering the fifth inning. The Bulldogs hung a four-spot in the fifth inning, but the Gators (35-5, 10-4 SEC) responded with four runs of their own. Ernstes lined a three-run double into the gap in the sixth inning to extend the lead.
Alyssa Faircloth got the start in the circle and picked up her 10th win of the year. She struck out nine. Peja Goold finished the game out, allowing just one run in 2.0 innings of work.
Mississippi State is now 14-0 when playing a team for the second time this year, including 4-0 in the middle game of SEC series.
Samantha Ricketts on Paige Ernstes…
“Paige has been one of our best hitters all fall, all preseason, and she has really looked great the last couple weeks from practice. We knew we needed to give her some chances to get back in there, and she’s a competitor. She loves the moment, and she came up with some big punches with RBIs, 2-out runs, for us when we really needed them.”
Tatum Silva on her three-hit day out of the No. 8 spot in the order…
“I feel like we all work together. I know my job at the bottom of the order is basically to just push the order, get back to the top lineup and let them do damage. I feel like the more I can do that, the more we score runs. I mean, the more you get on base, the more you can get around.”
Paige Ernstes on the message pregame and what led to the offense…
“I think it was just trusting the plan and going up there and doing it for our pitchers, doing it for our teammates. You know, we’re all in this together. We’re all fighting. We all want to win, so just going up and putting it in play.”
Hit Parade – State turned in a season-high 14 hits … the nine runs scored are the Bulldogs’ highest total in SEC play and most since a 9-0 run-rule win over Southeast Missouri on March 10 … five different hitters had multiple hits, and eight of nine starters had at least one.
Taking Down Top Teams – Today marked MSU’s second top-five victory this season and sets up a decisive Game 3 in the series on Sunday … Samantha Ricketts holds the MSU record with 51 ranked wins as the Bulldogs’ head coach … she has guided State to seven of the 19 top-five wins in program history … the last time that MSU won a series at Florida was also the Bulldogs’ last top-10 series win, which came in 2019 when the Gators were No. 7 … MSU has not won a series against a top-five opponent since beating No. 3 Alabama at home in 2014.
Nadia Barbary – Hit her ninth home run of the season for her seventh multi-RBI game … added a single for her 12th multi-hit game, which is tied for second on the team.
Morgan Bernardini – Hit her third homer of the year.
Paige Ernstes – Recorded a career-high five RBIs, the most by a Bulldog this season … also had a career-high two doubles and her second career multi-hit game.
Des Rivera – Doubled home the game’s first run … added a single for her eighth multi-hit game of the year.
Kiarra Sells – Led off back-to-back games with hits … also walked and was hit by a pitch … has reached safely in 17 of her last 26 plate appearances … has reached safely in 10 consecutive games with a hit in six straight.
Tatum Silva – Turned in a team-high three hits … it was her second multi-hit game of the year and third career three-hit game.
Morgan Stiles – Picked up her fifth double of the year and first of SEC play … posted her 12th multi-hit game of the year, which is tied for second on the team.
Top 1
Nadia Barbary drew a two-out walk and scored on Des Rivera’s double to right-center field.
No. 13 Mississippi State 1, No. 5 Florida 0
Top 4
Morgan Bernardini led off with a solo home run.
No. 13 Mississippi State 2, No. 5 Florida 0
Top 5
Morgan Stiles doubled to left with one out, and Anna Carder singled through the left side. Kalani Sells pinch ran for Carder at first. Both runners scored on Paige Ernstes’ double to right-center field. Abby Grace Richardson ran for Ernstes at second before Barbary hit a two-run homer.
No. 13 Mississippi State 6, No. 5 Florida 0
Bottom 5
Ava Brown pinch hit and singled to lead off. Ella Wesolowski and Gabi Comia followed with singles to load the bases. Cassidy McLellan re-entered to run for Brown. Taylor Shumaker hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score McLellan, but the throw to the infield was errant, allowing Wesolowski and Comia to advance to second and third before Jocelyn Erickson hit a three-run homer down the right field line.
No. 13 Mississippi State 6, No. 5 Florida 4
Top 6
Tatum Silva led off with a single to right. With one out, Kiarra Sells was hit by a pitch, and Stiles singled to left to load the bases. Carder reached on a fielder’s choice that saw Silva thrown out at the plate before Ernstes hit a bases-clearing double to score three.
No. 13 Mississippi State 9, No. 5 Florida 4
The series finale is set to air on SEC Network+ on Sunday. First pitch is set for noon CT.
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