STARKVILLE — John Cohen talks constantly to his Mississippi State University baseball team about finding ways to win games.
His squad’s 4-2 victory against the University of Mississippi in the third game of a three-game weekend set was a direct reflection of that idea. After all, it isn’t often a team gets two hits and wins.
“If you were to ask, ‘Hey John, would you prefer to lose this game and get 15 hits or win this game and get two?’, I think we’ll take what we got,” Cohen said. “It’s not secret we are not a great offensive club right now, but we’re doing just enough with walks and HBPs to win.”
In a first inning Ole Miss starting pitcher Tanner Bailey isn’t sure to forget for some time, MSU (27-17, 10-11 Southeastern Conference) scored all of its runs thanks to one hit — a single by Mitch Slauter — two walks, and three hit batters.
“Just disappointing,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. “This was one we thought we gave away in the first (inning). We hit as many people today than we have in a month.”
The victory ensured the home team won the series for the first time since 2007. Cohen has won three of four series against the Rebels.
“(MSU outfielder) Brent Brownlee takes a ball off a knee that he had surgery on six weeks ago to help us win a baseball game, (and) you can’t imagine the type of courage it takes to do that,” Cohen said. “We did enough, so hopefully without a (sophomore outfielder) C.T. Bradford in the lineup and some of the guys banged up we can get them rested up and at full speed.”
Bailey (1-1) didn’t record an out before being pulled 16 pitches into his first SEC start.
“I think there’s no doubt Tanner had trouble finding the strike zone,” Bianco said. “We gave them four runs, just gave it to them.”
MSU received a solid effort from a lefty-righty combination to move into a three-way tie for third place in the SEC’s Western Division with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
In his first conference start of the season, Luis Pollorena (3-0) matched a season-high with 5 1/3 innings pitched and set a new career-high with seven strikeouts.
MSU’s pitching staff has allowed only nine earned runs in the past 71 innings, and held Ole Miss (28-16, 10-11) to 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position Sunday.
“It’s hard to win a baseball game with two hits,” Cohen said. ” “I think we’re pitching it and we’re defending it at a very high level.”
Preseason All-America selection Caleb Reed closed the sixth inning and finished the game for his eighth save. He now has 20 saves, which is third all-time at MSU.
“Luis and I aren’t the biggest combo in the world, that’s for sure, but we get it done,” Reed said. “I got mentally prepared for the left-handers in their dugout to come in on me when Luis left the game, and I think that preparation saved me today.”
Pollorena and Reed stopped Alex Yarbrough’s 22-game hitting streak. The Rebels’ second baseman was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
“I don’t look at the name on the jersey, but just worry about feeding the strike zone in and out on both sides of the plate,” Pollorena said. “We were joking today in the clubhouse that maybe we should walk him all day to end the streak.”
MSU center fielder Hunter Renfroe, who replaced an injured Bradford, robbed Matt Snyder of an apparent home run in the fourth when he reached back over the right-center field wall.
“I knew it would be a home run or real close, so I had good beat on it to catch it over the fence,” Renfroe said. “(The series win) is probably a game-changer going into next week.”
MSU will focus on final examinations this week before it travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take on the University of Alabama. The teams will meet at 6:35 p.m. Friday, 2:05 p.m. Saturday, and 1:05 p.m. Sunday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
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