All nine Mississippi State starters hit safely Wednesday night as the Bulldogs (25-15-1) belted West Alabama (18-32) 17-5 at Dudy Noble Field. It was the first meeting between the two schools since 1994. MSU matched a season-high with 19 hits and Brent Lewis went 3-for-4 to pace the Bulldogs.
State scored four unearned runs in the first inning off UWA starter Bo Edmiston (2-5). Edmiston, the first of seven Tiger pitchers in the game, gave up five hits and five unearned runs in three innings of pitching.
State erupted for five runs in the fourth, scoring twice on a Matthew Brinson double. J.B. Tucker, making his second career start as a catcher, belted a three-run home run during a four-run MSU uprising in the sixth. Tucker and outfielder Winston Pearson set career-highs with three-RBI nights.
MSU starter Ryan Carroll (2-0) worked five innings and picked up the win, allowing four runs on six hits. Martin Jackson and Walt Simmons had two hits and one RBI each to lead UWA.
The Bulldogs matched a season-high with three double plays and played their 11th error-free game of the year.
The Bulldogs travel to Nashville, Tenn., Thursday and open a three-game SEC weekend series at Vanderbilt Friday at 7 p.m.