Alabama Softball Falls in Saturday Pitcher’s Duel at Mississippi State, 1-0

Alabama softball’s 20-game winning streak ended Saturday night in Starkville as Mississippi State earned the slim 1-0 win with a lone unearned run proving the difference in the pitcher’s duel.

Alabama (27-3, 4-1 SEC) was shut out for just the second time this season, with its two hits tied for its lowest offensive output of the season. Mississippi State (22-6, 2-3 SEC) had a no-hitter until the sixth inning, scoring its lone run of the day in the second inning following a fielding error. Demi Turner and Chandler Dare tallied the Tide’s lone hits on the day while Sydney Littlejohn (9-1) suffered her first loss of the season, allowing just the one unearned run in a complete-game effort.

With a runner on first and one out in the bottom of the second for Mississippi State, a fielding error on a sacrifice bunt attempt put runners at the corners. After a strikeout, a flare dropped down in shallow right field to score an unearned run and give the Bulldogs the first lead of the game.

Alabama missed a scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth, stranding a runner at second base, and eventually broke up Mississippi State’s no-hit bid in the top of the sixth on an infield single by Turner with one out. Dare followed with a single to left-center but a pair of fly balls to center field stranded the pair on base as the Tide remained behind 1-0.

The Bulldogs couldn’t add to its lead in the bottom of the sixth but Alabama went down in order in the top of the seventh, with a diving catch down the left-field line ending the game as Mississippi State held on to win, 1-0.

The three-game series concludes tomorrow in Starkville, with first pitch between Alabama and Mississippi State set for 4:30 p.m. CT at Nusz Park.