Diamond Dawgs Clinch First SEC Series of 2015 with Friday Win vs. South Carolina

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/MSU Athletics) – For the Mississippi State baseball team, it was a Good Friday indeed.

The positive momentum of a nationally-televised win over No. 13 South Carolina Thursday night carried over as the Bulldogs beat the Gamecocks 7-5 Friday to clinch the weekend Southeastern Conference series at Dudy Noble Field.

(HailState.com)

MSU improved to 21-12 overall and 5-6 in league play, while the Gamecocks fell to 20-11 and 5-6. For MSU, it was their first conference series win of the year. Behind a complete game from Lucas Laster, MSU won the series opener, 13-2 on ESPNU Thursday night.

“We have really swung the bats well in this series,” MSU head coach John Cohen said. “We had 14 hits today and had some really good at-bats. We have been waiting for the balls to fall in and the breaks to go our way. Our guys have done a great job of making some breaks this weekend.”

MSU received another solid pitching performance. Preston Brown (4-3) allowed 10 hits and five runs (all earned) in 7.1 innings of work to garner the win. The first MSU bullpen call of the weekend was to Trevor Fitts, who worked the Bulldogs out of a tight spot in the eighth inning before retiring all five batters he faced for his fifth save.

“They walked six and we walked one,” Cohen said. “That is really the difference in the game. We pounded the strike zone in both games and really made some great defensive plays.”

After South Carolina grabbed a 1-0 second-inning lead, the contest was halted for close to an hour after a passing rain shower. When play resumed, the Bulldogs went to work and put up a huge six-run second inning. This came on the heels of a decisive six-run third inning in Thursday’s win.

All six runs came after a potential ground ball was thrown away preventing the third out. MSU then cashed in with a bevy of unearned runs. Cody Brown had an RBI-double, while Jake Vickerson had an RBI-single. Gavin Collins made it three straight hits, before Reid Humphreys slapped a two-run single.

The Bulldogs then stretched the lead to 7-2 on an RBI-single by Vickerson in the fourth inning.

The Gamecocks’ attempt at a rally began in the seventh inning when DC Arendas homered. An inning later, South Carolina made noise against a tiring Brown.

An RBI-double by Elliott Caldwell brought the guests within 7-4. Fitts came in from there with two on and one out. An RBI-groundout and lineout got the Bulldog out of that tight spot. The USC side was retired in order an inning later to close out the win.

Vickerson, Collins and Wes Rea each had three hits to highlight the Bulldogs’ 14 hit-attack. Seth Heck also had multiple hits.

South Carolina received two hits each from Max Schrock, Kyle Martin, Caldwell and Logan Koch. Jack Wynkoop (4-3) pitched 6.1 innings and took the loss for the Gamecocks.

The series finale is at 2 p.m. Saturday.