Junior Kevin Milewski sent one over the right field wall in the fourth inning, and Mississippi State led 7-0.
MSU’s potent offense from last weekend’s regional had traveled to Athens, Georgia. State had UGA on the canvas, inching close to a knockout blow to beat a team it was 0-4 against this season, and a win away from a return to the College World Series.
Then it all fell apart.
A catastrophic collapse for MSU, including nine unanswered runs across two innings for UGA, has State on the brink of elimination after a 13-12 loss in game one of the Athens Super Regionals.
State’s seven run cushion, which included a six-run second inning, was erased with a five-run fourth and four-run fifth by UGA. Starter Tomas Valincius went 4.1 innings, and was credited for seven of the nine runs.
Head coach Brian O’Connor said UGA had the best approach against Valincius “after the first couple of innings” that he had seen.
Both teams traded blows through the final four innings. MSU fought its way back, and a home run from junior Ace Reese and a hit-by-pitch RBI by Milewski in the top of the eighth put State back in the driver’s seat, up 12-10. But in the bottom frame, UGA delivered the knockout blow.
Senior Michael O’Shaughnessy hit a no-doubt, three-run home run into right field, a hit UGA rode to its 13-12 win.
“Obviously an incredible college baseball game,” O’Connor said. “Unfortunate that we came out on the wrong end of it.”
Milewski was the standout offensively for MSU. He went 3-4 with three RBIs and two home runs. O’Shaugnessy was Georgia’s biggest producer, driving in five runs with two home runs.
Both teams’ offensive onslaught resulted in one of the highest-scoring super regional games ever. UGA and MSU hit a combined 11 home runs. It was just the first time in super regional history where both teams scored double-digit runs, according to the ESPN Broadcast.
MSU used five pitchers in the game. Freshman flamethrower Jack Bauer pitched 1.2 innings with three earned runs on four hits. Senior Ben Davis went 1.1 innings with two earned runs. Sophomore Dane Burns and junior Maddox Webb each pitched an out. O’Connor announced in the post game press conference that Ryan McPherson will start on Sunday.
“Throughout the game, there were multiple pitches that we just didn’t execute,” O’Connor said. “When you’re facing a great offense, if you don’t do that, they’re going to capitalize.”
Georgia starter Joey Volchko went five innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits. The Bulldogs used six arms total in the game.
History is against MSU after the loss. According to the ESPN Broadcast, 79% of teams who win game one of a super regional go to the College World Series. Last year, six of the eight super regional winners won game one.
“We’ll be ready to play tomorrow, thats for sure,” O’Connor said.
Jake is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for The Dispatch.
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