No. 25 Mississippi State University (22-12, 8-4 SEC) left Super Bulldog Weekend with their first series win since 2013 after beating No. 10 Kentucky (22-11, 8-4 SEC) on Sunday afternoon by a score of 10-6.
“What an outstanding weekend for us, just so proud of our guys,” head coach Andy Cannizaro. “It was a total team effort all weekend long, we are playing with a lot of confidence right now.”
Right handed pitcher and leadoff batter Jake Mangum started today. The sophomore from Pearl, Mississippi, pitched two innings but did not have his best outing. In two innings he gave up seven hits, four runs (all earned) and issued one walk. He did not register any strikeouts against the 14 batters he faced.
MSU right-handed pitcher Trey Jolly was awarded the win and had one of the best outings of any pitcher this weekend. The junior from New Albany, Mississippi, pitched 5.1 innings, giving up three hits and one earned run. He issued a walk and struck out one batter. He had a stretch towards the end of his outing where he retired 11-straight of the 18 batters he faced.
“I started getting confident after the first inning, I was like alright I think I can do this,” Jolly said. “The second inning, I was like I’m feeling pretty good, after the third I had really gotten on a roll and just kept going.”
Jake Mangum may have struggled on the mound, but he made up for it with his play at the plate. In the sixth inning, Mangum broke the tie with a three run triple. At the time MSU and Kentucky were tied at four, Mangum’s triple brought in both of the two runners on base and after an error, Mangum himself took home for a third run, giving MSU a 7-4 lead.
Harrison Bragg, who was pinch hitting for Jake Mangum, extended MSU’s lead to six in the seventh inning. He stepped up to the plate with two MSU runners on base and smashed the first pitch thrown his way into the Left Field Lounge for a three-run home run.
The win gives MSU a tie with No. 11 Auburn (24-10, 8-4 SEC), No. 15 Arkansas (25-8, 8-4 SEC) and Kentucky for a tie of first place in the SEC.
“It is huge, it puts us tied for first place, which is humongous after getting swept the first weekend,” second baseman Hunter Stovall said. “We are coming together as a team and I love what we are doing, it is awesome.”
MSU will look to carry this weekend’s momentum into their Tuesday night matchup against Mississippi Valley State (4-21, 3-12 SEC). After that the Bulldogs travel to Columbia, South Carolina, for a series against No. 9 South Carolina (21-9, 7-4 SEC).
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No. 25 Mississippi State clenches series over No. 10 Kentucky
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