Grit and Pitching Lead Mississippi State Past South Carolina to Even SEC Series

Mississippi State needed a response on Sunday, and it got one.

After a frustrating loss the day before, the Bulldogs settled in, played their style, and evened the series with a 2-0 win over South Carolina.

It wasn’t flashy, but it was steady and confident, which is exactly what this group needed.

“I just really love the response. I think this team has done a great job of that all year long and bouncing back,” Mississippi State coach Samatha Ricketts said. “The energy, the focus, the intent, starting from warmups, and then the dugout was just locked in from the first pitch on. I think that really was something that we needed.”

The whole thing started with Peja Goold setting the tone. She looked like someone who had no interest in letting Saturday linger. Two hits allowed. Nine strikeouts. Complete game number nine. Shutout number seven.

She didn’t give up a hit until there were two outs in the fourth, and she matched her season high in pitches. It was the kind of outing that settles everyone else down.

"I mean, we've got one of the best pitching staffs in the country, and it's shown," Ricketts said. "That just really makes our job to make the routine plays behind him and find a way to get some timely hits in for them. I just love the competitiveness and the fire that they have out there. We just know that we've got a really good chance to win when our staff is on the mound. I love that [Goold] kept us in there and answered right back anytime they had a base runner on. It is going to take a whole team effort tomorrow for Game 3 of a series here."

𝐃𝐖𝐀.#HailState pic.twitter.com/sYM0t35cp9
— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) March 30, 2026

The offense didn’t break the game open, but it didn’t have to. Mississippi State just needed one good inning, and the sixth delivered.

Nadia Barbary kicked it off with her second single of the day, and once Ally Supan came in to run, the Bulldogs went right into manufacturing mode. A bunt. A defensive mistake. A walk. Then Kinley Keller stepped in and did what she’s been doing all year with runners in scoring position. Her single to center gave Mississippi State the cushion it had been chasing all weekend.

“I love the fight. I love the bounce back, and just doing the little things, right,” Ricketts said. “Getting the bunt down that was huge for us after yesterday. Aggressive base running by Ally Supan out there. Just a good team win with good fight and grittiness, which is something we know we're going to need in this league."

It also helped that the lineup looked more like itself.

Barbary kept her hitting streak alive. Morgan Stiles added another multi-hit game. Kiarra Sells kept finding ways to reach.

Nothing explosive, but enough to feel like the offense was back in rhythm.

Dawgs on 🔝

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— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) March 30, 2026

Mostly, though, this was about answering a bad game with a good one.

Mississippi State didn’t let Saturday snowball. It leaned on its ace, played clean defense, and took advantage of the chances it created. That’s how you steady a series.

Now the Bulldogs get a shot at the finale tonight with a little momentum back on their side. And with Ricketts mic’d up on SEC Network, it should be a fun one.