Mississippi State softball falls to No. 20 LSU in series finale

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State’s softball team saw its hopes for a series sweep against No. 20 LSU slip away Sunday, losing 5-3 in the final game of the weekend series.

LSU took an early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning, but Mississippi State responded with a two-run shot from Nadia Barbary. The Tigers added another run in the third, though the Bulldogs threw out a runner at the plate to end the inning.

Mississippi State tied the game in the fifth on an RBI groundout by Kinley Keller. LSU reclaimed the lead in the sixth with a two-run homer, which proved decisive. The Bulldogs tried to rally in the bottom of the inning but fell short.

Head coach Samantha Ricketts praised her team’s effort and improvements. “I think we saw a lot of good things, a lot that we’d really been intentional about the last few weeks at practice and hasn’t turned out our way in the games,” she said. “We have to stay hungry and keep attacking every day. We have a lot of faith in our pitching staff and offense. We want to keep improving and stay on track.”

Offensively, Paige Ernstes went 4-for-9 with two home runs and six RBIs over the weekend. Romero was 4-for-8 with a homer and three runs scored. Gretta Grassel, who pinch-hit twice, delivered key hits that contributed to the series. Barbary’s home run was her 12th of the season, a new career high, and she now ranks seventh in MSU history with 31 home runs.

Mississippi State will conclude its regular season at Ole Miss next weekend, with games scheduled for Thursday through Sunday. The series opener is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, with the finale televised on SEC Network at 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the school.

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