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No. 15 Mississippi State wins first series in Tuscaloosa

by:Cooper Taylor•about 19 hours
Screenshot 2025-03-16 at 5.02.12 PM
Courtesy of Mississippi State Athletics

No. 15 Mississippi State won its first-ever series in Tuscaloosa this weekend, defeating No. 22 Alabama 4-3. Raelin Chaffin pitched her second complete game of the weekend, earning two wins and spoiling the Tide’s opening SEC series.

Alabama opened the scoring in the first inning. On a 1-2 count, Larissa Preuitt doubled off the left-center field wall. Six pitches later, Kali Heivilin singled up the middle, scoring Preuitt from second.

After a scoreless second inning, Mississippi State pushed three runs across in the third. Errors proved costly for the Crimson Tide. In a bases-loaded situation, a fielding error, a wild pitch, and a throwing error allowed the Bulldogs to take their first lead of the game. Emily Winstead got the nod for Alabama in the circle but was replaced by Jocelyn Briski after 2.1 innings. Winstead faced just 11 batters and was responsible for three of the four runs allowed.

The Tide immediately responded in the bottom of the third, though. A single from Alexis Pupillo, a hit by pitch and a Brooke Ellestad double drove in the tying runs.

Though neither team scored in the fourth inning, Alabama threatened in the fifth with back-to-back singles. Nevertheless, Chaffin responded by striking out Ellestad, drawing two flyouts, and stranding the go-ahead run at third.

Mississippi State answered in the sixth. A leadoff walk to Morgan Bernardini and an intentional two-out walk to Sierra Sacco brought Nadia Barbary to the plate. Barbary made Alabama pay for the decision, lining an RBI single to left field to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead.

Alabama had no answer for Chaffin in the seventh, going down in order to end the game.Chaffin was dominant to close the game, retiring nine of the last 10 batters she faced. She scattered seven hits, struck out four, and walked just one to earn her 14th win of the season. Briski took the loss, surrendering one earned run on three hits and three walks.

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