MSU Baseball Sweeps Marshall, Alabama A&M

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – Ryan Gridley’s RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the Mississippi State baseball team to a 2-1 victory over Alabama A&M Sunday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.For a second straight weekend, the Bulldogs won all four games they played. MSU is 8-0 on the season for the second time in three years.

Sunday Game: MSU 2, Alabama A&M 1

The MSU pitching trio of Vance Tatum, Ross Mitchell and Trevor Fitts combined to hold Alabama A&M to four hits and one second-inning run, with 11 strikeouts.

Tatum picked up the quality start, allowing two hits and one run, with nine strikeouts in six innings of work. Mitchell (2-0) gave way to Fitts after an error and base hit put two A&M runners on base in the ninth inning.

Fitts walked a batter to load the bases. However, a strikeout and nifty play by third baseman Matthew Britton close outs Fitts’ second save of the season.

MSU scored first in the first inning on an RBI-single by Cody Brown.

From there, A&M starter Ryan Ahrens kept the Bulldogs at bat. Ahrens allowed three hits and one run in six innings of work.

Devin Smith and Andrew Utterback followed in relief with Utterback (0-1) taking the loss.

Each team finished with four hits. A&M’s Allen Smith was the lone multiple hitter for either team.

Suspended Game: MSU 7, Marshall 4

A fifth-inning, two-run home run by Brent Rooker placed the Bulldogs on top for good in this contest.

After Rooker’s home run, heavy rains suspended the contest Saturday night and led to a Sunday conclusion.

When play resumed, two walks kept the Bulldogs momentum going in what turned out to be a four-run inning and a 5-1 lead.

After the walks, Matt Spruill had an RBI-single and another run came home on a bases-loaded walk to John Holland.

In Saturday’s play, Marshall (2-5) built a 1-0 lead on a home run by D.J. Gee. MSU came back to tie in the fourth inning after a walk to Ryan Gridley and RBI-double by Cody Brown.

The Thundering Herd battled back with two scores and a single score in the eighth inning.

In relief, Trevor Fitts came in and worked the Bulldogs out of that tight spot in the eighth inning. After allowing a single, Fitts retired the final four batters he faced for his second save of the season.

Lucas Laster (1-0) worked the first five innings to pick up the win. Laster allowed four hits and one run (earned), with three strikeouts and a walk. Zac Houston andDaniel Brown pitched prior to Fitts.

MSU expanded the lead with two scores in the eighth inning. Jacob Robson andRyan Gridley each had singles and both scored on a two-run pinch hit by Jake Vickerson.

MSU finished with 11 hits. Vickerson was the lone multiple hitter. Seth Heckreached base all five plate appearances, with a single and four walks.

The Bulldogs stranded 14 base runners and worked around two errors.

Marshall finished with 10 hits. Robert Fajardo had three hits and two RBIs, while Corey Bird had two hits for the Thundering Herd.

MSU hosts Alcorn State at 4 p.m. Tuesday.