Mississippi

Softball: Mississippi State sweeps doubleheader from No. 23 Louisiana

Published

2 years ago

February 14, 2024

Softball: Mississippi State sweeps doubleheader from No. 23 Louisiana

STARKVILLE — It’s never too early to start building that NCAA Tournament resume. Especially for a team that narrowly missed out on the postseason a year ago.

Mississippi State picked up a pair of wins Tuesday that are likely to age well over the next three months, sweeping a doubleheader from No. 23 Louisiana — the nine-time reigning Sun Belt Conference champions and a program that advanced to the Super Regionals last spring.

Aspen Wesley and Josey Marron each allowed just one run on five hits in complete-game victories as the Bulldogs run-ruled the Ragin’ Cajuns 9-1 in six innings in the first game and edged Louisiana 2-1 in the nightcap.

“It’s really what we’ve been working for since the end of last year,” MSU head coach Samantha Ricketts said. “I don’t think it’s really been a surprise for us. We’ve worked really hard and our goal is to go out there and prove ourselves right, knowing that we’ve put in the work to be here and to compete with these teams.”

The Bulldogs (6-0) jumped on Ragin’ Cajuns ace Sam Landry in the first inning of the opener. They loaded the bases on three straight one-out singles and eventually brought all three runners home when Aquana Brownlee was hit by a pitch, Paige Cook beat the throw to the plate on Ella Wesolowski’s grounder to third and Madisyn Kennedy hit a sacrifice fly.

Louisiana (4-3) then went to the bullpen to save Landry for the second game, and MSU’s offensive onslaught continued. Nadia Barbary, who had three hits in Game 1, laced an RBI double in the second, and run-scoring hits in the fourth from Jessie Blaine and Brownlee further padded the Bulldogs’ lead.

“I made sure to get extra work in before this game,” Barbary said. “Just allowing the hard work that I put in to do what I did in the game today.”

Meanwhile, Wesley kept the Ragin’ Cajuns off balance, with the visitors’ only run coming in the third inning on a passed ball. Louisiana had plenty of opportunities but was just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

MSU failed to score after loading the bases with nobody out in the fifth with a chance to end the game early, but the Bulldogs opened the sixth with four consecutive hits, the last one by Brylie St. Clair to drive in Wesolowski and invoke the run rule.

After pitching just one inning in the first game, Landry started Game 2 as well, and MSU again got to her right away. Sierra Sacco bunted for a hit to lead off the first inning, Barbary singled to left, and after a double steal moved the runners to second and third, Blaine doubled to bring them both home. Landry settled down after that and held the Bulldogs scoreless the rest of the way, but Marron made sure the early runs stood up.

The Ragin’ Cajuns put two runners in scoring position with one out in the fourth before Marron got a strikeout and a fly ball to left to escape the jam. In the same situation two innings later, Marron got the second out on a ground ball that brought home Louisiana’s first run, but she then struck out pinch-hitter Denali Loecker to strand the tying run on third. She proceeded to close out the victory with a perfect seventh.

“I’ve been catching Josey for a long time, and every moment that we have to play on this big stage, the chemistry comes in handy,” said Blaine, a transfer from Auburn who was a travel ball teammate of Marron’s. “It’s really full circle for my career.”

MSU heads south of the border to Mexico this weekend for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, where the Bulldogs will play UC Davis and UC San Diego on Friday before facing No. 13 Utah and No. 8 Clemson on Saturday. The Utes reached the Women’s College World Series in 2023, while the Tigers pushed eventual national champion Oklahoma in the Super Regionals and have the reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year in Valerie Cagle.

Ricketts said MSU will be staying at an all-inclusive resort across the street from the field, and the Bulldogs will also help run a softball camp for kids in the area on Saturday.

“You get to feel the culture a little bit. The games, they announce you in English and Spanish, they’re playing the music, and the whole town comes out to support,” Ricketts said. “We definitely try to let them enjoy it, especially a trip like this when probably at least half our team has never been out of the country. So let them have some fun, but then knowing we’ve got another four really good games and solid opponents coming up this week too.”

Mississippi State softball MSU

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Mississippi

Renowned New York dance instructor visits Mississippi to recruit for summer program

Published

11 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Renowned New York dance instructor visits Mississippi to recruit for summer program

LAUREL, Miss. (WDAM) – A world-renowned dance instructor from New York visited Laurel Thursday to conduct a special class and do some recruiting for a prestigious summer dance program in the Big Apple.

Melanie Person, who is co-director of the Ailey School in New York, taught a master ballet class Thursday morning at Laurel Middle School.

It’s part of a three-day residency in the Magnolia State, organized by the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience in Meridian.

She’ll teach two other classes Friday in Meridian before hosting an audition Saturday for a prestigious summer dance program at the Ailey School.

“I typically tour in about six to eight cities in the U.S., and I recruit dancers to come to our summer intensive, so part of this weekend, in one of the classes, I will be accepting students to come to New York for our five-week summer intensive,” Person said.

“We accept the dancers we like, and we see if they are able to come. The decision to come to New York for the summer is a big undertaking for families, so we just hope that they can do it.”

Registration is required for that audition, which will be held at the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience.

To do that, click HERE.

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Mississippi

No. 12 Mississippi State’s Balance Shows Again in Road Win at Georgia Tech

Published

23 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

No. 12 Mississippi State’s Balance Shows Again in Road Win at Georgia Tech

Mississippi State has won plenty of different ways during this 15-1 start, but Wednesday night in Atlanta felt like one of those games where the Bulldogs reminded everyone why they’ve looked so steady all month.

It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t stress‑free, but the 8-3 win over Georgia Tech was the kind of road win that shows a team knows exactly who it is and what buttons to push when things get a little weird.

Alyssa Faircloth set the tone again, even on a night when she didn’t have her cleanest beginning. She gave up a game‑tying homer in the second, shrugged, and then basically disappeared Georgia Tech’s lineup for the next three innings.

Eight strikeouts in nine batters the second time through the order, back‑to‑back innings striking out the side. The only real hiccup came on another leadoff homer in the sixth, and by then she’d already done the heavy lifting.

And while Faircloth was settling in, the lineup did what it’s been doing all year: spreading the damage around.

Des Rivera wasted no time, jumping on the first pitch of the second inning and sending it out. When Georgia Tech tied it, Nadia Barbary answered immediately with a solo shot of her own. It wasn’t loud or flashy, but it was the kind of response good teams make without thinking.

The middle innings were more about pressure than power. Barbary worked a walk, Kiarra Sells split the gap for an RBI double, and Anna Carder did her job with a sac fly. Suddenly it was 4-1, and Mississippi State had the game exactly where it wanted it with Faircloth cruising, the lineup stacking quality at‑bats, and the defense staying clean.

The seventh inning, though, is where the Bulldogs turned a solid win into a comfortable one. Sells homered again, and then Rivera and Tatum Silva kept the inning alive long enough for Morgan Bernardini to drop the hammer. Her three‑run shot to center didn’t just put the game away; it capped off the kind of night she’s been stringing together for a week now. She’s 7‑for‑11 during her four‑game hitting streak and looks like a hitter who’s seeing everything in slow motion.

Peja Goold handled the final outs, picking up her second save and slamming the door on a Georgia Tech team that kept trying to make things interesting late.

What stands out most about this win isn’t the four homers or the 11 strikeouts or even the 15-1 record. It’s how routine it all felt.

Mississippi State went on the road, took a couple of punches, and never looked rattled. Rivera homered. Barbary homered. Sells homered. Bernardini homered. Faircloth dominated. Goold closed. It was the same formula, just in a different ballpark.

Now the Bulldogs head to Clemson for a weekend that should tell us even more about who they are. But if Wednesday night is any indication, they’re traveling with a lineup that can hurt you anywhere and a pitching staff that doesn’t mind carrying the load when needed.

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Mississippi

Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Feb. 25, 2026

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Feb. 25, 2026

The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 25, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

02-06-09-16-17

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

Midday: 4-6-6, FB: 6

Evening: 4-3-5, FB: 9

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

Midday: 0-7-2-8, FB: 6

Evening: 6-3-6-1, FB: 9

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

Midday: 10

Evening: 12

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Story continues below gallery.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.

Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:

Mississippi Lottery Corporation

P.O. Box 321462

Flowood, MS

39232

If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.

Mississippi Lottery Headquarters

1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100

Flowood, MS

39232

Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.

When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?

Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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