Audrey Sellers throws the ball to first from second while wearing shades.
Matt Woolverton
1
Boston University BOSTONU 36-3
3
Winner Mississippi State MS 34-23
Boston University BOSTONU
36-3
1
Final
3
Mississippi State MS
34-23
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Boston University BOSTONU 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 1
Mississippi State MS 0 1 0 0 1 1 X 3 8 0

W: A. Willis (17-9) L: DuBois, Ali (25-1) S: A. Loza (6)

Game Recap: Softball |

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

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.

 
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