Mississippi State was outmatched by the BYU cougars in the Salt Lake City Regional, as the softball team was defeated 8-0 in six innings.
The Bulldogs were not favored coming into their first round match up. Whether it was the long flight or the sheer difference in talent, it was obvious from the first pitch it was gonna be a long day for the ‘Dogs.
Salt Lake City, Utah the picturesque scene for the 2-seed vs 3-seed showdown, with one team traveling a measly 50 miles, and the others coming off a daunting 1,700 mile road trip across the United States.
The shorter distance prevailed as the BYU Cougars (45-11) took care of the Bulldogs 8-0.
The sixth inning affair saw the Bulldogs out hit 13-1, and not to mention the amount of errors the Bulldogs had throughout the course of the contest. The Cougars began their scoring in the second inning with a solo home run from Alexa Strid. Then, the Cougars mauled the Bulldogs throughout the course of the next couple of innings through errors and timely hitting.
The Cougars were easily able to put away the Bulldogs early, which was key in their run-rule victory. The winning pitcher for the Cougars was McKenna Bull (30-5), who one hit the Bulldogs through six. The losing pitcher was Alexis Silkwood (15-7), who gave up 5 runs after going only 2 and 1/3 innings.
What’s Next?
Mississippi State will face Fordham, the 4 seed in the Salt Lake City Regional, who was defeated by hosts Utah 10-0.
Fordham (45-16) is coming off an Atlantic 10 championship. The rams will be a tough opponent for the Bulldogs, as they look to avoid going “2 and Done” in the NCAA Tournament.
How to Watch?
The losers bracket game will be broadcasted live by ESPN3. You can tune into WatchESPN on the ESPN app or by going on ESPN.com to watch our ladies compete against Fordham.
Follow the Softball team’s run in the NCAA Tournament on MaroonAndWhiteNation.