Cowbell Corner

No. 19 Mississippi State Shuts Out Southern Miss in Home Opener

Behind strong pitching and timely offense, Mississippi State earned a 5-0 win over Southern Miss Tuesday night at Nusz Park.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State pitcher Leila Ammon walks off the field after a scoreless inning against Southern Miss on Tuesday.
Mississippi State pitcher Leila Ammon walks off the field after a scoreless inning against Southern Miss on Tuesday. | Mississippi State Athletics

No. 19 Mississippi State opened its home schedule with exactly the kind of performance a team on a five‑game winning streak is supposed to deliver.

Behind steady pitching, timely hitting and a handful of first‑career moments, the Bulldogs shut out Southern Miss 5-0 on Tuesday night at Nusz Park.

The win extends Mississippi State's streak of home‑opening victories to 13 straight seasons.

Freshman Leila Ammon made her Nusz Park debut and looked comfortable from the start, earning her first win as a Bulldog with five scoreless innings. She struck out six and didn’t issue a walk, setting the tone for a pitching staff that has now posted two shutouts in its first three games.

Alyssa Faircloth handled the final two innings, striking out four without allowing a hit to secure the second save of her career.

Offensively, Mississippi State leaned on a mix of newcomers and veterans. Freshman Gabby Schaeffer doubled for her first career hit in the third inning and later scored the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly from Nadia Barbary. The RBI extended Barbary’s hitting streak to nine games dating back to last season.

From there, the night belonged to Des Rivera. The junior delivered the first home run hit at Nusz Park this season — her first as a Bulldog — with a solo shot in the fifth. She added a two‑run double in the sixth, finishing with her first multi‑hit, multi‑RBI game in maroon and white. Rivera also recorded 10 putouts, a season high.

"I was just trying to make an adjustment and learn from the hitters in front of me early on in the count,” Rivera said. “We did a good job of scouting the pitchers this week. The coaches prepared us really well, so going in with the plan and making sure I stuck to it. It felt good yeah."

Head coach Samantha Ricketts praised Rivera’s approach at the plate.

“[Rivera] brings a big bat, and she took a pitch that we were seeing and struggling with, and she did this,” Ricketts said. “That was just a mature, veteran approach and at‑bat from her there. And then she busted it open, expanding our lead there later in the game, which was huge and something we were trying to focus on late in that game.”

Mississippi State added two more runs in the sixth when Kinley Keller drove in a run on a fielder’s choice — the first RBI of her career — before Rivera’s double scored Keller and pinch‑runner Tatum Silva.

Morgan Stiles quietly kept her own streak alive as well, extending her hitting streak to nine games while batting .533 during that stretch.

With the win, Mississippi State moves to 1-0 at home and continues its early‑season momentum heading into a busy weekend.

The Bulldogs host The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial presented by Newk’s Eatery, welcoming Murray State, Rutgers and North Texas for five games from Feb. 13-15.

They’ll play at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday before closing the tournament Sunday against North Texas.

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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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