No. 16 Mississippi State Shuts Out No. 22 South Carolina Again
MSU pitcher Aspen Wesley allowed just two hits in the 4-0 win
COLUMBIA, S.C. – One day after Mississippi State pitcher Josey Marron held No. 22 South Carolina to just three hits, Aspen Wesley one-upped her teammate on Saturday.
Wesley held the Gamecocks (27-12, 3-8 SEC) to only two hits while striking out nine batters in No. 16 Mississippi State’s 4-0 win. The win secured the Bulldogs’ (28-9, 8-6 SEC) first series win against a ranked SEC team this season.
"I thought Aspen once again was just super-efficient. She did a great job of attacking, mixing pitches, locations and speeds," MSU coach Samantha Ricketts said. "She gave us a quality start just like Josey yesterday and kept getting us back in the dugout so we could scratch across more runs for her. I thought she showed a lot of composure, poise and toughness."
Wesley (10-3) held South Carolina hitless through the first three innings and ended the game by retiring the final 11 batters in-a-row.
"I think we have a lot of confidence in Aspen, and a lot of our pitching staff on the mound,” Ricketts said. “It just helps us feel like we're in control and we have the momentum. We want to be able to hit for a while and get her more insurance runs every time she's out there dealing for us."
The Bulldogs gave their pitcher a lead before they stepped inside the circle for the second-straight game. Nadia Barbary hit a double in the first inning to score Sierra Sacco. Aquana Brownlee added a run in the second inning on a bases-loaded walk and Sacco drove in another on a sacrifice fly. Madisyn Kennedy capped off the scoring in the fourth inning with a bases-loaded walk.
MSU and South Carolina wrap up their three-game series on Sunday. The game will air on SEC Network+ at 11 a.m.