Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State’s Power Duo Does It Again in Win Over South Alabama

Kiarra Sells homered twice and Nadia Barbary added another as Mississippi State’s long-ball attack carried the Bulldogs to a win.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Infielder Nadia Barbary (#10) during the game between the Samford Bulldogs and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jaguar Field in Mobile, AL.
Mississippi State Infielder Nadia Barbary (#10) during the game between the Samford Bulldogs and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jaguar Field in Mobile, AL. | Mississippi State Athletics

Some weekends you leave the ballpark thinking you’ve seen a trend. Other weekends, No. 12 Mississippi State makes the trend impossible to ignore.

At this point, calling it a “power surge” from Nadia Barbary and Kiarra Sells feels too soft. It’s more like the Bulldogs have two hitters who’ve decided the simplest way to solve a game is to hit it over the wall and jog.

Sunday at South Alabama was another chapter in what’s becoming a pretty familiar script. Mississippi State fell behind early, didn’t panic, and then Barbary and Sells handled the rest. Three swings, four runs, ballgame, 4-2.

Barbary got things moving in the third with a solo shot, the kind of steady, no‑nonsense swing she’s been stacking up lately. Before anyone could finish logging it in the scorebook, Sells followed with one of her own. Back‑to‑back again. Fourth time in their careers.

At this point, it’s almost routine, which is a wild thing to say about two players homering consecutively.

Two innings later, Barbary took a pitch off the arm, shrugged it off, and trotted to first. Sells stepped in and did what she’s been doing for two straight weeks: she lifted another ball out of the park. A two‑run shot, her second of the day, and her 10th of the season.

She’s reached the point where “team‑leading” doesn’t even capture it. She’s carrying an extra‑base hit streak that feels like it’s stretching into every corner of the schedule, and she’s doing it with a calmness that makes it look easy.

Barbary isn’t exactly quiet in all this, either. Seven home runs now, second on the team, and she’s reaching base in basically every game.

When she and Sells get rolling at the same time, the entire lineup feels different. You can almost sense the dugout leaning forward a little when their spots come up.

The pitching held up its end, too. Peja Goold settled in after the early runs, Leila Ammon bridged the middle, and Alyssa Faircloth closed it with two steady innings. Nothing flashy, just enough to let the bats take over.

State is 24‑2 and scoring more than 40 percent of its runs via home runs. That’s not an accident. It’s an identity forming in real time, built on two hitters who keep finding barrels and keep changing games with one swing.

They’re back home Tuesday for a doubleheader, and then Tennessee rolls in for the SEC opener. If this power trend keeps up, the Bulldogs won’t be sneaking up on anyone. They’ll be announcing themselves one home run at a time.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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