STARKVILLE, Miss. — No. 11 Mississippi State softball secured a 4-0 victory over UAB on Wednesday night, highlighted by a dominant pitching performance from Alyssa Faircloth. The senior pitcher struck out 14 batters, matching her career high, and allowed only two hits in her sixth complete game of the season.
Faircloth’s performance resulted in her first solo shutout for the Bulldogs (28-4, 1-2 SEC). She previously had one double-digit strikeout game in her career before this season, but has now recorded five such games this year, according to team statistics.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Mississippi State scored four runs. Tatum Silva led off with a double, and Morgan Stiles drove in the first run with a single. The Bulldogs then loaded the bases, prompting Morgan Bernardini to draw an RBI walk. Taylor Troutman doubled to clear the bases, extending the lead to 4-0.
Head coach Samantha Ricketts praised her team’s late-inning offensive surge and Faircloth’s resilience. “She continued to fight and trust herself, mixing pitches effectively as the game progressed,” Ricketts said. “Our team did a good job of remaining calm and staying present. It was a big team effort.”
Mississippi State will next travel to face Georgia in a three-game SEC series beginning Friday at 5 p.m. CT, with all games broadcast on SEC Network and SEC Network+. The Bulldogs aim to improve their conference record after this win. Follow the team on X, Facebook, and Instagram by searching ‘HailStateSB’ for updates.
