Peja Goold Shuts Out No. 8 Arkansas as Mississippi State Wins 1-0

Bulldogs' ace ties school record with eighth shutout of the season in dominant performance.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 2:22pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the action of a softball game, with sharp, overlapping planes of teal, navy blue, and crimson colors representing the players and field.Mississippi State's dominant pitching staff continues to lead the way, as the Bulldogs' ace Peja Goold shuts down a top-10 opponent.Starkville Today

Behind another dominant outing from junior right-hander Peja Goold, Mississippi State secured a 1-0 victory over No. 8 Arkansas on Friday night. Goold tied the school's single-season SEC shutouts record, allowing just two hits and three strikeouts in a complete-game effort that kept the Razorbacks off the scoreboard.

Why it matters

This win over a top-10 opponent continues to showcase Mississippi State's elite pitching staff, which has been the backbone of the team's success this season. The Bulldogs' identity is built around their ability to win close, low-scoring games through dominant performances on the mound.

The details

Goold was in control from the start, keeping Arkansas' powerful lineup off-balance by mixing speeds and hitting her locations. The Bulldogs' offense provided just enough support, scoring the game's lone run in the fifth inning on a passed ball that allowed Kiarra Sells to come home after reaching on a walk and advancing to third on a double by Morgan Stiles.

  • Goold tied the Mississippi State single-season SEC shutouts record with her eighth of the year.
  • The game was played on Friday, April 10, 2026 in Starkville, Mississippi.

The players

Peja Goold

A junior right-handed pitcher for Mississippi State who tied the school's single-season SEC shutouts record with her dominant performance against Arkansas.

Samantha Ricketts

The head coach of the Mississippi State softball team, who praised Goold's confidence and ability to keep the Razorbacks off-balance.

Kiarra Sells

The Mississippi State player who scored the game's lone run on a passed ball after drawing a walk and advancing to third on a double.

Morgan Stiles

The Mississippi State player who hit a double to set up the game's only run.

Tyler Bratton

The Mississippi State coach who instructed Sells to score on a passed ball.

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What they’re saying

“Every time Peja – really any of our pitchers – is on the mound, we know we have a good chance to fight for them and score some runs. I love her confidence and the way she leads from the mound. She goes out there to compete and keeps us in the game. She did a really good job against a tough hitting team. She was able to keep them off-balance by mixing speeds, hitting her locations and having good defense behind her. She had another quality start, and we were able to scratch a run across for her.”

— Samantha Ricketts, Head Coach, Mississippi State Softball

“Going into that, I was like, all right, I'm on third, Coach [Tyler] Bratton had just told me beforehand, 'Hey, on a passed ball, you're scoring.' During the read, I was looking, and I was like, that's sitting under her, I don't think I'm going to make that,' Then all of a sudden, it started rolling down behind her and I was like, I'm going to go. Then the moment I saw that catcher slip, I kind of just pulled my hand back to get around her tag.”

— Kiarra Sells, Mississippi State Player

What’s next

Mississippi State will take the field again on Saturday for 'All For Alex Day', where all SEC teams will wear teal or teal accents to honor Alex Wilcox and raise awareness for ovarian cancer.

The takeaway

This win over a top-10 opponent further solidifies Mississippi State's identity as a team built around dominant pitching. The Bulldogs have proven they can win close, low-scoring games by leaning on their ace, Peja Goold, and the rest of their elite pitching staff.