STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State claimed the series against South Carolina with a 4-3 win Monday night. The Bulldogs scored early and held off a late rally by the Gamecocks to secure the victory.
Paige Ernstes hit a solo home run in the second inning to give Mississippi State an early lead. South Carolina responded in the fourth, tying the game. In the fifth, doubles by Anna Carder and Xiane Romero, along with an RBI groundout by Nadia Barbary, pushed the Bulldogs ahead by three runs.
The Gamecocks threatened in the sixth with a bases-loaded double by Lexi Winters, but Mississippi State relayed to cut down the tying run at the plate. The Bulldogs’ pitching staff combined for eight strikeouts, with Peja Goold earning her third save of the season after re-entering in the seventh inning. Goold pitched four innings, allowing one run, and was backed by Leila Ammon, who improved to 8-0 this season.
Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts praised her team’s resilience. “It is always important in this conference,” she said. “We learned some lessons from Game 1 and responded well. It’s great to see different players step up in key moments. That’s what it takes for our team to keep improving.”
In addition to Ernstes, Romero and Barbary contributed offensively. Romero’s double in the fifth was her first multi-RBI game this year, and Sells recorded her first career outfield assist. The Bulldogs will next travel to No. 3 Florida for a three-game series beginning Friday.
