STARKVILLE – Delaware challenges the call… and it’s another win for Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs improved to 7-0 and clinched the second series of the season against the Fighting Blue Hens on Saturday, winning 10-0 despite a wave of early calls against them with four challenges and some lengthy reviews slowing down the start of the contest.
Tomas Valincius got the start for the Bulldogs, and the first at-bat led to a lenthy review at first base to determine if the runner beat the tag. The call on the field was out, and the replay appeared to support that decision, but a challenge from the Blue Hen house led to several minutes of film review and a ruling to overturn the out call.
The very next pitch was a deep drive into left center, where Bryce Chance and Aidan Teel collided, but Teel held on for the out. The Bulldogs would get out of the inning unscathed, take the lead with an RBI hit from Ace Reese, and then get out of an even bigger jam in the second inning.
The Hens loaded up the bases with no outs, and though pitching coach Justin Parker took a visit to the mound, Valincius stayed in. A catcher’s interference call was challenged by O’Connor successfully, and then the starter proceeded to strikeout three straight batters to leave the Hens stranded and keep the lead intact.
The Bulldog bats went quiet in the second and third innings before home runs added to the tally in the fourth and fifth frames. Jacob Parker got off the mark with his first homer as a Bulldog in the fourth, going deep with a runner on and two outs to make it 3-0. Reed Stallman added a solo shot to start the fifth inning, followed by an RBI double from Ryder Woodson as the Bulldogs started to string hits together.
The hits kept rolling for MSU into the sixth inning, where Noah Sullivan opened his home run account for the season with a three-run shot just inside the foul pole into Adkerson Plaza behind right field. It was a strong way to mark his return after a back problem kept him out of midweek action, and made it three innings in a row with a Bulldog home run.
Valincius kept up the shutout work, striking out seven through six innings pitched, allowing no runs despite five hits and two walks. Brendan Sweeney took over for the start of the seventh inning and kept the shutout bid going thanks to some good team defense. A 5-4-3 double play ended the seventh, and Drew Wyers and Reese each made good stops and throws to end the eighth.
Unlike Friday, MSU sealed an early win with a two-run home run in the eighth. Blake Bevis came in to pinch hit for Reed Stallman and sent a shot over the left field wall for the walk-off win an inning early.
The Bulldogs and Blue Hens will meet for Game Three at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
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