LEXINGTON, Ky. — Taylor Troutman drove in the winning run with a single in the bottom of the seventh inning, leading No. 19 Mississippi State to a 4-3 comeback win over Kentucky at the SEC Tournament on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs (38-17, 9-15 SEC) scored three runs in the final inning to erase a two-run deficit. With two outs and the bases loaded, Morgan Stiles singled, driving in two runs. Troutman followed with a grounder at the first baseman, beating the throw to first for the game-winning hit.
Mississippi State came to the plate trailing 3-1 in the seventh. Kiarra Sells singled, and Morgan Bernardini reached on an error to start the rally. Kinley Keller singled to load the bases, setting up Stiles’ two-RBI single. After a groundout, Troutman’s single sealed the victory, marking her second walk-off win of the season. Stiles scored the winning run after a fielding error by Kentucky’s first baseman.
Head coach Samantha Ricketts praised her team’s resilience. “I’m really excited for the team and the way they fought back,” she said. “They never quit. The fight the entire game, particularly in the seventh, was very positive. It was a ‘Let’s do this together’ attitude.”
Stiles, who drove in two runs, noted the team’s confidence. “We all know that no matter what, we’re never out of the fight,” she said. “We bounce off each other. We believe in our swing and our mindset.”
Mississippi State will face No. 9 Arkansas at approximately 1 p.m. CT Wednesday. The game will start about 35 minutes after the first game concludes. The Bulldogs’ win marked their ninth comeback victory this season, including their fourth against SEC opponents.
