STARKVILLE – Mississippi State baseball got back in the win column with a 5-3 victory over UAB at Dudy Noble Field on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs (26-7, 7-5 SEC) had more trouble with the Blazers than they’ve had in recent midweek matchups, but given the visitors’ 22-11 record they weren’t a team to overlook.
The Bulldogs got things going quickly with a two-run home run by Ace Reese in the first inning. UAB got on the board with a solo home run at the top of the third, prompting a response with another two-run deep shot from MSU, this time the freshman Jacob Parker.
MSU starting pitcher Chris Billingsley Jr. took the mound for the third straight midweek contest and stayed on until the fourth inning, allowing two hits, including the solo home run, while picking up a couple of strikeouts.
Billingsley handed a 4-2 lead to Jack Gleason out of the bullpen. He got into a tough spot in the fifth inning, seeing two runners get into scoring position with just one out, prompting O’Connor to go back to the bullpen. Freshman Maddox Miller came on and loaded the bases by hitting the first batter faced, but was able to get out of it after a sacrifice flyball made it 4-3.
The Bulldogs added one more in the seventh after an RBI hit from Gehrig Frei, and loaded up the bases with two outs. Ryder Woodson was due up when the Blazers made a pitching change, and hit a ball right to third base to end the inning and leave three runners aboard.
The Blazers made a push to tie the game in the eighth inning, putting two aboard and advancing both on a double steal. Reese made a crucial miss on the tag at third on the steal, which was initially ruled an out but overturned after a challenge by UAB head coach Casey Dunn. It put two in scoring position with no one gone. MSU reliever Maddox Webb recorded back-to-back punchouts to keep them from scoring. A hit batter with two gone loaded up the bases, but a groundout ended the inning and the danger to MSU’s lead.
The Bulldogs would close out with Ben Davis on the mound in the ninth, finishing the job despite putting runners at the corners with one gone. They’ll face Tennessee at home at the weekend in the next SEC series, starting at The Dude on Friday at 6 p.m.
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