After a delayed start from a wardrobe mishap of the opposing team, Mississippi State University’s midweek matchup against Jackson State University was off rocky start.
Going 5-0 in the first two innings, the Bulldogs trailed behind JSU with a struggle to score runs. Head coach Chris Lemonis discussed how the team was thrown for a loop during the post-game press conference.
“It was a tough first two innings,” Lemonis said. “Especially, we’ve been chasing the last two games. You want to get out to a good start.”
Following a rough start, MSU came back with an impressive third inning that Jackson State failed to meet. With the bases loaded at the bottom of the third, Mississippi State put up three runs after Dakota Jordan was walked, bringing up the score 5-3.
Directly after this feat, senior infielder Logan Kohler drove in two more runs to tie up the score 5-5 and suddenly grasped the attention of the fans to keep all eyes on the field. Kohler, a recent transfer from Memphis, found himself with more playing time as an addition to the Bulldogs, so this play caused more eyes to focus on the talent hidden beneath the former Tiger.
“We’re all good hitters,” Kohler said. “The minute guys that you haven’t seen on the bench that I can bang with the best of us so it really doesn’t matter. Got protection in the front, got protection in the back.”
With the scoring of runs on the rise, the acceleration of offense continued to grow with a triple hit by senior catcher Joe Powell. This play caused MSU to surpass Jackson State 8-5. The action did not stop, as infielder David Mershon tripled down the third base line bringing to score 11-5.
At this point, fan energy found itself at a peak with cheers every time a shoe hit home plate. Of course, Mississippi State did not let up on the gas when Dakota Jordan doubled to right field to bring Mershon home. Immediately after, first baseman Hunter Hines hit a single to secure Jordan’s return to home plate.
The Bulldogs found themselves with an inning that more than doubled the score they were trailing by and ended the inning 13-5. After this powerful inning, Jackson State found itself at a loss of power and failed to catch up by more than a run by the end of the game.
This inning became the highlight of the game, showing that even if the Bulldogs do not start out strong, there is enough momentum in the team to launch a powerful inning and take the victory. Coach Lemonis shared what he believed was the reason the team was able to pull themselves together and play such an impressive inning.
“They’re becoming a little more patient and more selective and I think that’s why you’re seeing them play a little better than we expected,” Lemonis said.
