The Mississippi State University Bulldogs secured a home series win against Georgia Southern this weekend with wins on both Friday and Sunday.
On Friday night, the Bulldogs defeated Georgia Southern 5-1 to clinch the series opener. The Bulldogs’ pitchers were dominant with 15 strikeouts and only six hits. This was the third time this season that the Bulldog pitchers struck out 13 or more batters in a single game. Nate Dohm, a junior starting pitcher, pitched effectively, allowing only four hits and one walk in six innings. Sophomore Gavin Black and senior Brooks Auger combined for five strikeouts in 2 innings following Dohm’s impressive effort.
Offensively, eight different players recorded at least one hit, with freshman Dylan Cupp leading the team with two runs batted in. Senior Amani Larry went 2-for-4, and senior Logan Kohler contributed a solid 3-for-4.
On Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs suffered an early setback and were unable to complete their comeback in the second game of the series. Khal Stephen, a junior starting pitcher, received the loss after pitching 2 innings and giving up seven earned runs while striking out three. Senior Joe Powell led the Bulldogs, going 2-for-4 with two runs, while sophomore David Mershon finished 1-for-5 with two runs batted in.
Mississippi State’s head coach Chris Lemonis was not thrilled with the outcome of Saturday’s game.
“It is a hard game to play when you are behind—a tough start,” Lemonis said.
On Sunday afternoon, the Bulldogs rebounded with a 10-2 win over Georgia Southern. Starting pitcher, sophomore Jurrangelo Cijnte, struck out seven batters in five innings. Cijnte allowed a single hit, one earned run and two walks. Brooks Auger, senior Cam Schuelke and senior Tyler Davis maintained their outstanding pitching performance, allowing just one earned run, four walks and five strikeouts.
Jurrangelo Cijnte shared his mindset and overall performance for Sunday’s game against Georgia Southern.
“I just want to win ball games and try to get every out. The first inning I was struggling, but I tried to keep my team in the game,” Cijnte said.
David Mershon was on fire for the Bulldogs. Mershon at the plate went 4-for-5 with two RBI’s and one run. Mershon was not the only one to join in the fun. Junior Bryce Chance went 1-for-4 with three runs batted in. Senior Connor Hujsak went 2-for-2 with three runs batted in.
Lemonis sang a different tune for Sunday’s outing for the Bulldogs.
“Overall, it was a good weekend to take two out [of] three. These two games were the best of the season,” Lemonis said.
The Bulldogs now hold a 4-4 overall record and will be back at Dudy Noble Field Thursday to face Mount St. Mary’s in a three-game series. The games will stream on SEC Network+.
