Softball On SI

No. 17 Mississippi State Stuns No. 1 Texas in Series Opener, Splits Doubleheader

The Bulldogs handed the Longhorns a rare loss before Texas bounced back to split the doubleheader.
Maren Angus-Coombs|
Mississippi State right-hander Raelin Chaffin delivers a pitch in a the Bulldogs' 4-3 win over Texas on Friday.
Mississippi State right-hander Raelin Chaffin delivers a pitch in a the Bulldogs' 4-3 win over Texas on Friday. | Mississippi State Athletics

Paige Ernstes spent almost the entire game watching from the dugout and discussing at-bats with the coaching staff.

The Mississippi State freshman doesn't play all the time but has adapted to her role as a pinch hitter, which was on display against the nation's best on Friday afternoon at Nusz Park.

"Coach Ricketts and I talked about taking at-bats with people while they're hitting," Ernstes said. "Even though I'm still in the dugout, I'm mentally taking that at-bat with them and seeing what pitching they're getting and trying to think, 'Okay, where are they going to throw her next? What do you think I would do in this situation?'"

Ernstes pulled an outside pitch down the left field line with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to give the No. 17 Mississippi State Bulldogs a 4-3 win over the No. 1 Texas Longhorns. Abby Grace Richardson scored the game-winning run from first base.

It was the first win over a No. 1-ranked team since 2015 and was the third upset of a top-ranked team in program history.

"I think I saw exactly what I knew about [my team] already. They are fighters," said Ricketts. "They compete, and we expect to win and expect to play with the No. 1 team in the country. I don't think there's any fear in this group."

Raelin Chaffin tossed a gem for the Bulldogs collecting her 16th win of the season, striking out six in the complete-game effort.

Sierra Sacco led the Bulldogs with two hits.

The Bulldogs had a chance to sweep the day in the nightcap but came up short in a 7-3 loss. MSU led the Longhorns 3-1 heading into the seventh inning.

"They're upset about that second game because we know we were right there with it, and we had our opportunities," Ricketts added. "I think the way they stuck together and, even in the bottom of the seventh, found ways to get the tying run on deck, we're not going to quit. We are going to fight, which is really good to see that grittiness that we know is in there. I thought they really exemplified that today."

The rubber match is set for for 1 p.m. CT on Sunday on SEC Network+.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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