Softball Drops 3-1 Decision to Mississippi State in NCAA Opener

Friday, May 21

Stillwater, OK

4:30 PM ET

Boston University

36-3

Mississippi State (NCAA Regional)

34-23

Boston University

Mississippi State

Audrey Sellers throws the ball to first from second while wearing shades.

Photo by: Matt Woolverton

Softball Drops 3-1 Decision to Mississippi State in NCAA Opener

May 21, 2021 | Softball

Box Score Box Score Coach Waters-Gant Postgame 2021 NCAA Bracket

STILLWATER, Okla. – Despite striking first and finishing with an 8-8 tie in hits, the Patriot League champion Boston University softball team dropped a 3-1 decision to the SEC's Mississippi State on Friday afternoon at NCAA regional host Oklahoma State's Cowgirl Stadium.

With their ninth win in 10 games this month, including five against NFCA-ranked opponents, the Bulldogs improve to 34-23 and earn a winner's bracket matchup with No. 5 nationally-ranked Oklahoma State (43-9) on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. The Cowgirls run-ruled Big South champion Campbell, 10-0(5), in the first contest of the regional to set up an elimination game between the Terriers (36-3) and Camels (27-18) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Senior Ali DuBois (25-1) allowed just two earned runs in 5.1 innings of work for her first loss of the year. Junior Emily Gant tallied a game-high two hits to lead the offense, while fellow junior Aliyah Huerta-Leipner had an RBI double.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Junior Nicole Amodio singled to center with one out before taking second on senior Jen Horita's single up the middle and then scoring on Huerta-Leioner's RBI double to left center.
Horita tried to score from first but was just beaten by a step at home, as the Bulldogs held the deficit to 1-0.
The Bulldogs came right back in the bottom half with a one-out walk and two-out double to left center that saw the outfield miss the cut-off and help the runner score with ease.
Trying to add more, Mississippi State started the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back lead-off singles before DuBois got out of the jam with a pair of ground outs and a foul out.
The Bulldogs then took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth with the help of a throwing error, two singles and an RBI ground out.
Trying to retake the lead, Gant and freshman Lauren Nett hit back-to-back infield singles before Annie Willis (17-9) earned a strikeout and ground out.
Adding an insurance run in the sixth, MSU earned a walk and three singles against DuBois before sophomore Allison Boaz prevented further damage in relief with a pop up and ground out.
Alyssa Loza retired the side in the seventh for her sixth save to seal the Bulldogs' two-run victory.

GAME NOTES

Gant earned her 10th multi-hit performance of the season.
Huerta-Leipner moved into a tie for third on the team with seven doubles.
BU dropped to 0-2 all-time against the Bulldogs following a 4-2 loss in 2000.
The Terriers are now 0-11 all-time in the opening game of the NCAA tournament, including three losses against the SEC with 3-2 defeat to Arkansas in 2012 and 3-0 loss at No. 5 Florida in 2019.

NEXT UP: Campbell

BU will face the Big South champion Camels on Saturday with the ESPN3 broadcast set for 4:30 p.m. ET.
The winner will face the Oklahoma State-Mississippi State loser immediately afterwards at 7 p.m. ET.
The Terriers last met Campbell in 2003, dropping a 6-5 decision in North Carolina.