MSU Baseball Splits Games Saturday

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – Mississippi State pounded out 17 hits in a second consecutive game while collecting its first victory of the season Saturday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.

A seven-run fourth inning was the big blow as MSU beat South Dakota State 17-4 in the first of a pair of games. In the second contest, Florida Atlantic pitching proved too much as it led to a 4-0 victory over the Bulldogs.

In the win over South Dakota State, Jack Kruger and Gavin Collins each had three hits. Kruger had a pair of doubles and drove in four runs. Brent Rooker and Ryan Gridley each had multiple hits as a total of 11 players found the hit column.

Daniel Brown made the most of the offense in his first start of the season. Brown allowed eight hits and three runs (all earned), with seven strikeouts and two walks in 4.2 innings of work. Keegan James (1-0) allowed five hits and one run (earned) over the final 4.1 innings to pick up the win.

MSU collected 17 hits and six doubles in Friday’s 10-6 loss to Florida Atlantic. In the win over South Dakota State, the Bulldogs added seven more doubles.

The Bulldogs got things going immediately with three runs in the first inning. After a one-out walk to Kruger, Rooker and Collins followed with back-to-back doubles. Both hits drove in runs, as did a single from Gridley.

The lead grew to 5-0 an inning later on an RBI-double by Kruger and ground ball out.

Reid Humphreys had an RBI-double in the third inning. Luke Alexander, Josh Lovelady, Kruger and Rooker each had run-producing hits in the big fourth inning.

South Dakota State (0-3) finished with 13 hits. Jesse Munsterman had three hits for the Jack Rabbits.

In the second contest, the FAU trio of Marc Stewart, Devon Carr and Cameron Ragsdale combined on a four-hit shutout.

The Owls (3-0) blew open a tight contest by scoring three runs in the fifth inning to stretch a 1-0 lead.

Billy Endris had three hits and two RBIs for FAU. Esteban Puerta also had three hits for a FAU squad, which finished with 13 hits.

Jacob Robson, Rooker, Nathaniel Lowe and Alexander had a hit apiece for the Bulldogs (1-3).

Austin Sexton (0-1) allowed nine hits and four runs (all earned) in 4.2 innings of work, with six strikeouts and two walks. Vance Tatum completed the contest with 4.1 innings of four-hit scoreless relief for the Bulldogs.

MSU will close its season-opening weekend with a 3:30 p.m. start Sunday against South Dakota State.