Mickey the Mouth
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- May 21, 2026
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For coach Samantha Ricketts, Mississippi State softball’s first NCAA Tournament super regional win was all about the Bulldogs’ fight.
Mississippi State (42-18) came back from being down four runs to win 11-9 over No. 3 seed Oklahoma (51-9) at Love’s Field in Norman on May 22.
The Bulldogs overcame many tough moments in the win and now sit at the brink of making their first Women’s College World Series. Game 2 in the best-of-three series is May 23 (noon CT, ESPN).
“Why not us? Why not this team? Why not us be the team to stop (Oklahoma)?” first baseman Abby Grace Richardson said. “We always fight for each other, and I think we did a good job with that today.”
Here are three ways Game 1 could have gone wrong for the Bulldogs but didn't.
Ricketts said Mississippi State didn’t have the option to walk freshman Oklahoma star Kendall Wells in the seventh inning. Although she was 4-for-4 with two home runs in the game, walking her would have loaded the bases.
Wells has 39 homers, which is the second-most in NCAA history for a single-season.
“We had to pitch to her with the two runners on base because we were going to move the tying run into scoring position (with a walk),” Ricketts said. “… The situation we had put ourselves in with the first two hitters, we knew we didn’t have a choice.”
Delainey Everett got Wells to pop the ball up in foul territory where Richardson caught it for Wells’ first out of the game.
Everett, in just her 10th appearance of the season, was instrumental in the win, retiring the final four batters.
“For Delainey to finish it out the way she did after what she’s been through the last two years, just a really special moment for her, for this program,” Ricketts said.
Ricketts later explained that Everett’s father died at the beginning of last season. Then, in December, Everett had shoulder surgery causing her to miss most of February and play sparingly in March.
“It was maybe middle of SEC (play) when we kind of got her back throwing full (strength) again,” Ricketts said. “… Watching her in those last couple outs she got, every pitch, it was just her dad’s there with her. You could see it.”
Everett was the fourth pitcher MSU used against Oklahoma. She entered in the sixth with the bases loaded after Peja Goold gave up a three-run home run to Wells, two walks, a single and a hit-by-pitch in just 17 pitches.
Alyssa Faircloth gave up five runs on three home runs in 2⅓ innings in her third consecutive start. Leila Ammon pitched three innings and allowed three runs.
“I think (pitching coach Taryn Mowatt-McKinney)’s done a really good job of having our bullpen prepared all year,” Ricketts said. “So just letting them continue to attack, and that’s kind of been our mindset, even when we’re the underdog.”
The Bulldogs’ offense successfully backed up Everett down the stretch by scoring nine runs in the final two innings. This came after scoring just two in the first five innings and leaving nine runners on base.
“That’s something that we see happen quite a bit and no big deal,” Ricketts said of leaving runners on early. “… We were happy to have runners on base, but we knew if we just continued to have quality at-bats and team at-bats that we were going to find a way to cash in sooner or later.”
Tatum Silva hit the two-out RBI single that allowed Mississippi State to score the go-ahead run and bring in an extra on an error in the top of the seventh.
“It’s a big atmosphere here,” Silva said. “You’ve got a lot going on, a lot of noise, and it is a challenge to stay calm in those moments. But the biggest thing is just trusting within yourself and the people behind you.”
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: What Mississippi State overcame to upset OU softball in Game 1
Continue reading...
Mississippi State (42-18) came back from being down four runs to win 11-9 over No. 3 seed Oklahoma (51-9) at Love’s Field in Norman on May 22.
The Bulldogs overcame many tough moments in the win and now sit at the brink of making their first Women’s College World Series. Game 2 in the best-of-three series is May 23 (noon CT, ESPN).
“Why not us? Why not this team? Why not us be the team to stop (Oklahoma)?” first baseman Abby Grace Richardson said. “We always fight for each other, and I think we did a good job with that today.”
Here are three ways Game 1 could have gone wrong for the Bulldogs but didn't.
Pitching to Kendall Wells with game on line after she hit 2 homers
Ricketts said Mississippi State didn’t have the option to walk freshman Oklahoma star Kendall Wells in the seventh inning. Although she was 4-for-4 with two home runs in the game, walking her would have loaded the bases.
Wells has 39 homers, which is the second-most in NCAA history for a single-season.
“We had to pitch to her with the two runners on base because we were going to move the tying run into scoring position (with a walk),” Ricketts said. “… The situation we had put ourselves in with the first two hitters, we knew we didn’t have a choice.”
Delainey Everett got Wells to pop the ball up in foul territory where Richardson caught it for Wells’ first out of the game.
Delainey Everett saved Mississippi State in just 10th game of season
Everett, in just her 10th appearance of the season, was instrumental in the win, retiring the final four batters.
“For Delainey to finish it out the way she did after what she’s been through the last two years, just a really special moment for her, for this program,” Ricketts said.
Ricketts later explained that Everett’s father died at the beginning of last season. Then, in December, Everett had shoulder surgery causing her to miss most of February and play sparingly in March.
“It was maybe middle of SEC (play) when we kind of got her back throwing full (strength) again,” Ricketts said. “… Watching her in those last couple outs she got, every pitch, it was just her dad’s there with her. You could see it.”
Everett was the fourth pitcher MSU used against Oklahoma. She entered in the sixth with the bases loaded after Peja Goold gave up a three-run home run to Wells, two walks, a single and a hit-by-pitch in just 17 pitches.
Alyssa Faircloth gave up five runs on three home runs in 2⅓ innings in her third consecutive start. Leila Ammon pitched three innings and allowed three runs.
“I think (pitching coach Taryn Mowatt-McKinney)’s done a really good job of having our bullpen prepared all year,” Ricketts said. “So just letting them continue to attack, and that’s kind of been our mindset, even when we’re the underdog.”
Mississippi State left runners on early, scored 9 runs in last 2 innings
The Bulldogs’ offense successfully backed up Everett down the stretch by scoring nine runs in the final two innings. This came after scoring just two in the first five innings and leaving nine runners on base.
“That’s something that we see happen quite a bit and no big deal,” Ricketts said of leaving runners on early. “… We were happy to have runners on base, but we knew if we just continued to have quality at-bats and team at-bats that we were going to find a way to cash in sooner or later.”
Tatum Silva hit the two-out RBI single that allowed Mississippi State to score the go-ahead run and bring in an extra on an error in the top of the seventh.
“It’s a big atmosphere here,” Silva said. “You’ve got a lot going on, a lot of noise, and it is a challenge to stay calm in those moments. But the biggest thing is just trusting within yourself and the people behind you.”
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: What Mississippi State overcame to upset OU softball in Game 1
Continue reading...