Mississippi State did not need extra innings this time. It just needed one inning.
After falling behind early for the second straight night, the Bulldogs flipped the game in the bottom of the seventh and held on late, defeating LSU 9-8 at Dudy Noble Field to clinch the series.
The start looked familiar.
LSU wasted no time putting pressure on Mississippi State. Omar Serna Jr. doubled in the first run of the game, and Cade Arrambide followed with a two-run home run that gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead before the Bulldogs could settle in.
Mississippi State answered immediately.
Ace Reese stepped in during the bottom of the first and launched a solo home run, cutting the deficit to 3-1 and keeping the Bulldogs within reach early.
From there, the game settled into a slower pace.
Duke Stone worked through early traffic and found rhythm after the first inning, putting together multiple scoreless frames, including a clean third that helped stabilize the game.
Mississippi State chipped away in the fourth. Blake Bevis reached, and Aidan Teel followed with an RBI double that cut the deficit to one, bringing the Bulldogs back into the game without needing a big swing.
LSU answered again in the fifth. Arrambide drove in another run, and Edward Yamin IV followed with a two-run home run
that stretched the lead to 7-2, putting Mississippi State back in a position it had already seen the night before.
This time, the response came all at once. The bottom of the seventh changed everything.
Mississippi State built the inning from the top. Gehrig Frei reached. Ace Reese followed with a hit. Noah Sullivan added another to load the bases and create pressure across the board. Blake Bevis was then hit by a pitch, bringing in a run and keeping the line moving.
Then came the swing that flipped the game. Jacob Parker stepped in and launched a grand slam, tying the game at 7-7 and erasing the deficit in one moment. Just like that, everything reset.
Mississippi State’s pitching responded. The Bulldogs held LSU scoreless in the eighth, highlighted by a clean three-up,
three-down inning that gave the offense another chance to take control. They did not waste it.
In the bottom of the eighth, Reed Stallman sparked the inning with a leadoff double. After a walk and continued pressure, Noah Sullivan delivered an RBI single to give Mississippi State its first lead of the night. Blake Bevis followed with another RBI hit, pushing the Bulldogs ahead 9-7.
LSU made one last push. In the ninth, the Tigers cut the lead to 9-8 with a solo home run, bringing the tying run to the plate and forcing Mississippi State to finish the game under pressure. This time, they closed it out.
The final outs came without another rally, sealing the win and completing another comeback performance.
It was not clean. Mississippi State fell behind early again, made mistakes and needed one big inning to reset the game. But once it did, the Bulldogs controlled the final stretch and finished it.
That is what this stretch has become. Mississippi State is not just responding. It is taking control when it matters most. The Bulldogs will go for the sweep Sunday as they continue building momentum at home.
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 36 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 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
