Mississippi State improved to 5-0 with a 5-0 victory over Southern Miss in the Bulldogs’ home opener Tuesday at Nusz Park. The win marked the 13th consecutive season the team has started 1-0 at their on-campus facility, according to school officials.
Des Rivera led the Bulldogs with her first multi-hit and multi-RBI game, hitting a homer and a double. Gabby Schaeffer recorded her first career hit with a double and scored the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly by Nadia Barbary. Kinley Keller also posted her first career RBI while reaching on a fielder’s choice, according to team statistics.
Leila Ammon earned her first win as a Bulldog, pitching six scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Alyssa Faircloth came on in relief and secured her second career save, the team’s first of the season. Head coach Samantha Ricketts praised Ammon’s poise and performance, noting her ability to mix speeds and gain confidence as the game progressed.
Ricketts also highlighted Rivera’s veteran approach at the plate. “She takes a pitch we’ve been struggling with and responds maturely,” the coach said. “Later in the game, she expanded our lead, which was critical.”
The Bulldogs, who scored 17 of their 34 runs this season via home runs, extended their in-state record against Mississippi teams to 31-6 under Ricketts. Nadia Barbary extended her hitting streak to nine games, batting .375 during that span and driving in her third run of the season with a sacrifice fly.
Mississippi State remains in Starkville for the weekend, hosting the Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial tournament. The Bulldogs will face Murray State, Rutgers, and North Texas across five games from Feb. 13-15. Their schedule includes games at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday, concluding with a 12:30 p.m. matchup against North Texas on Sunday.
