#17-Mississippi State 5 — USC 3 (Game Summary)
- Mississippi State entered Friday’s game ranked in the “Top 25” nationally in home runs with 60. They added four to that total against the Gamecocks, while USC provided one, as all of the scoring came courtesy of the long ball
- The Bulldogs attacked USC starter Brandon Stone right out of the chute. On the third pitch of the game, Aidan Teel doubled down the left field line to put the first potential run of the game on board. However, Stone was able to get a groundout and then back-to-back strikeouts to retire the side
- Stone wasn’t as fortunate in the second inning, as again the leadoff batter reached base. As a matter of fact, Gehrig Frei touched them all. His long home run down the right field line gave MSU a 1-0 lead heading to the bottom of the second
- In the third, the Bulldogs hung a crooked number on the scoreboard with a pair of two-out home runs. Third baseman Ace Reece blasted his team-leading eleventh long ball of the season to up the visitors’ lead to 3-0. Two batters lead Reed Stallman connected on his 8th HR of the season, a two-run shot, to give Mississippi State a 4-0 lead through three at bats
- USC struggled early against MSU ace Tomas Valincius. The Gamecocks did not get their first hit off of the Virginia transfer until Ethan Lizama singled with one out in the bottom of the third. However, Valincius coaxed Will Craddock into a double play to end the inning and keep MSU’s lead at four runs
- He continued to baffle Carolina hitters in the fourth, striking out the side on just thirteen pitches. But that would be his last smooth run through the USC order
- In the 5th, the Gamecocks finally figured out the left-hander. With two outs and nobody on, Tyler Bak singled into right field. A bloop single into center by Luke Yuhasz followed, setting the stage for Lizama. The transfer from Western Kentucky unloaded on the first pitch he saw from Valincius, blasting his first home run as a Gamecock over the wall in right field to make it 4-3 Mississippi State after five
- Stone got the first two outs in the sixth but was lifted in the middle of an at-bat by Teel for Logan Prisco. The LHP got Teel to hit into a fielder’s choice with two men on and two outs to retire the side. Stone worked 5 & 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits with 5 K’s and no walks
- In the 9th, the Bulldogs got a big insurance run off the bat of Noah Sullivan. His solo shot to left centerfield was the fourth HR of the night for MSU and upped their advantage to 5-3
- The two-run cushion was plenty for Ben Davis out of the MSU bullpen. Though USC made it interesting in their half of the ninth. The Gamecocks got the potential tying runs on base, but Will Craddock struck out to end the game. Davis tossed 2 & 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball to record the save and preserve the Bulldogs’ 28th win of the season
- Game two is Saturday at 1pm from Founders Park in Columbia