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Softball Bulldogs take top 20 series win over rival Ole Miss Rebels with 3-0 shutout

3rupauk8_400x400by:Robbie Faulk•05/02/25•

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delainey everett
Delainey Everett (Photo by Mississippi State Athletics)

In the final softball weekend of the regular season, No. 18 Mississippi State is off to a great start against archrival and No. 19 Ole Miss.  

Jessie Blaine’s two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh on Thursday night got things started with a bang as the Bulldogs walked off the Rebels 3-1. Blaine played her part yet again on Friday afternoon when she hit a solo homer in what was a 3-0 victory that handed State the series.

State locked up the series against the rival Rebels for the third-straight season and have now won seven of the last eight games against Ole Miss. It was also the 50th win against the Rebels all-time as State is now 50-34 in the series dating back to 1997.

Just as they did on Thursday night, the Bulldogs dominated on the mound and got the big hits when needed. Raelin Chaffin pitched a complete game on Thursday and would close out the game on Friday, but it was Delainey Everett that got things started.

Everett threw 5.0 scoreless innings giving up just two hits and one walk while striking out three batters. Her gut check moment came in the fourth when she gave up a leadoff double and wild pitch without recording an out. Everett came back and got back-to-back strikeouts and then worked around a hit batter to get a groundout to leave the runners stranded.

State took advantage of that momentum as they got an RBI single from Sierra Sacco and a sacrifice fly from Nadia Barbary to get the 2-0 advantage. The solo home run the next inning from Blaine would extend that lead out to 3-0 and that would be enough.

Everett’s 5.0 strong innings would get her to 10-1 on the season while Chaffin came in and pitched the final 2.0 innings of scoreless softball in the circle. Chaffin earned her third save to accompany a win already in her pocket this weekend.

At the plate, State needed just five hits to get the job done. Sacco had a 2-for-3 day with an RBI after having a tough Thursday night. Blaine hit her fifth home run of the season but the second in her last four at bats.

The series win has secured a winning record in SEC play as the Bulldogs improved to 13-10. It’s the first time since 2001 that the Bulldogs will finish the year with a winning record in league play and it’s just the fourth time in school history that’s been accomplished.  

While the series is a nice notch on the belt of the Bulldogs this season, the job is not done. State (37-15, 13-10 SEC) have a chance to continue to improve its standing for postseason with a game three coming on Saturday night at 5 p.m. The game can be seen nationally on the SEC Network.

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