STARKVILLE – Mississippi State jumped back in the win column of SEC play Thursday at Dudy Noble Field as it hammered Auburn from the plate and the mound in a 10-3 victory in Game 1 of its last SEC series at home.
Against the team with the lowest ERA in the SEC (3.33), the No. 11 Bulldogs (38-12, 15-10) erupted for three home runs on 16 hits and got a standout pitching performance from Tomas Valincius. The sophomore fanned 13 of the No. 6 Tigers’ batters through 6 ⅔ innings of work and helped hold the SEC’s fourth-best hitting team to just four hits.
But early on it was State’s offense that stole the show as MSU raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning on a two-out Grand Slam by Bryce Chance. Ace Reese and Noah Sullivan got the party started with singles off Auburn (33-15, 14-11) starter Jake Marciano, and Jacob Parker was walked to load the bags. Chance caught a ball hanging over the plate and drove it into Left Field Lounge for his second home run – both grand slams – of the season. The occasion marked the Bulldogs’ third straight game.
Marciano was taken off the mound in the third inning replaced by LJ Cormier, and he started off his play off with similar results. Sullivan singled to get on and managed to steal second base during a strikeout by Parker. Vytas Valincius drove a ball down the third-base line that ricocheted off Auburn’s Eric Guevara’s glove and into left field to give just enough time for Sullivan to scramble home and put MSU up 5-0. By the fourth inning State had already piled up eight hits while Tomas worked on another hurling gem. He kept Auburn hitless through the first four innings and headed to the fifth with nine strikeouts in his back pocket.
The Tigers’ Ethin Bingaman sliced a ground ball just past Frei at second base to break the streak. Brandon McCraine got the second hit off Tomas in the fifth to get Auburn on the board, but State immediately issued a response in the bottom with another one-run single by Parker.
Tomas added two more strikeouts in the sixth to bring his total up to 12 on the night while Auburn kept the bullpen cycle going in search for answers. Cormier was pulled for Ethan Harden in the sixth inning and Frei took advantage with a two-run blast to Adkerson Plaza in right field for the Bulldogs’ 12th hit of the contest.
Looking to add his 14th punchout of the game in the top of the seventh, Tomas gave up a two-strike two-run blast to Auburn’s Bub Terrell but was serenaded by the crowd as he made his walk back to the dugout for the pitching change. Jack Bauer forced a flyout to close the inning and the game with no hits given up.
Sullivan, Chance and Vytas lead the team with three hits each, and Bevis and Frei had two.
MSU and Auburn collide in Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
