MSU Baseball Falls To South Carolina, Wins Series

[syndicaster id=’5699531′]

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – A third straight strong offensive showing was not enough for the Mississippi State baseball team.

Despite pounding out 10 hits and finishing the weekend with 27 total runs, MSU dropped the final game of a three-game Southeastern Conference series 13-7 to No. 13 South Carolina Saturday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.

South Carolina improved to 21-11 overall and 6-6 in league play, while MSU fell to 21-13 and 5-7. After victories on Thursday and Friday, the Bulldogs did manage to take their first conference series of the season.

Down 1-0, MSU scored twice in the first inning to take its only lead of the day at 2-1. A single by Cody Brown and double by Jake Vickerson started the inning. A groundout scored one run and a hit batsman plated the other.

South Carolina then chased MSU starter Vance Tatum (3-1) during a four-run second inning. The big blows in that at-bat were a two-run double by Marcus Mooney and a two-run single by Kyle Martin.

Tatum faced nine batters in 1.1 innings of work, allowing five hits and four runs (all earned). Ross Mitchell followed and was touched for four more earned runs in 2.1 innings of work.

The Gamecocks quickly built a 9-2 lead in the sixth inning.

From there, the Bulldogs answered with two runs in the seventh inning. Ryan Gridley singled and was chased home on an RBI-double by John Holland. Seth Heck followed with an RBI-double.

For the series, the Bulldogs hit 12 doubles, which is the most under seventh-year head coach John Cohen.

South Carolina then thwarted the rally attempt with four runs in the eighth inning, including a two-run single by DC Arendas.

In the ninth inning, singles by Heck and Vickerson highlighted a three-run frame for the Bulldogs.

MSU finished with 10 hits in the game and 37 for the series. Heck had three hits, while Vickerson had two Saturday. Vickerson had seven hits for the series, while Holland, Heck and Cody Brown each had five.

Levi Mintz, Daniel Brown and Dakota Hudson pitched in relief for MSU.

South Carolina finished with 15 hits. Second baseman Max Schrock had a career-high five hits and two RBIs to lead the Gamecocks. Brandon Murray (4-0) pitched 5.2 innings of relief to earn the win.

MSU returns to the road to face Memphis at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at AutoZone Park.