In brief, Georgia Southern wins on Saturday to level the series.
In Starkville, Georgia Southern dominated early, scoring 11 runs within their first five at-bats and securing a comfortable 11-4 victory over Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field on Saturday afternoon. With this triumph, the Eagles advanced to a 2-4 overall record, while the Bulldogs slipped to 3-4. Both teams are now eyeing a series win as they prepare to face off again on Sunday afternoon.
Mississippi State’s Khal Stephen took the mound for the mid-series weekend start. However, Georgia Southern quickly gained momentum, loading the bases with no outs in the first inning and capitalizing with multiple runs, led by Jarrett Brown’s double that drove in two. Despite a subsequent strikeout and a fly out, the Eagles managed to secure a 4-0 lead. Mitchell Gross, the left-handed pitcher for Georgia Southern, shut down the Bulldogs in the bottom half of the inning.
Stephen recovered in the second inning, retiring the Eagles in order. Mississippi State’s Logan Kohler was the first to reach base, getting hit by a pitch, but an attempted advance led to an out, ending the inning with Connor Hujsak’s single to left-center.
Georgia Southern once again loaded the bases in the third inning, prompting Mississippi State to switch pitchers to Cole Cheatham. However, the Eagles continued their offensive onslaught, with Jonathan Jaime driving in two runs with a single. Despite a sac fly extending the lead to 7-0, Tyson Hardin managed to close out the inning for the Bulldogs. In the bottom of the third, Mississippi State finally got on the board with Joe Powell’s single, eventually tallying their first run.
The Eagles added two more runs in the fourth inning, extending their lead to 9-1, before Mississippi State could respond. Jaime’s solo homer in the fifth inning furthered Georgia Southern’s lead to 10-1. Despite the Bulldogs’ efforts to halt the Eagles’ offense, Georgia Southern capitalized on errors and walks, maintaining their lead at 11-1. In the bottom of the fifth, Mississippi State managed to chip away at the deficit, scoring three runs to make it 11-4.
In the remaining innings, Mississippi State struggled to mount a comeback, as Georgia Southern’s pitching held strong, securing a decisive victory. The game concluded with Georgia Southern maintaining their commanding lead, and Mississippi State unable to generate any further offense.
