Video: Mississippi State Wins Midweek Game at Troy

TROY, Ala. (WCBI/MSU Athletics) – Mississippi State pounded out 12 hits and used a four-run first inning to lift the fourth-ranked Bulldogs to a 7-3 win over Troy in a college baseball game played Wednesday night at Riddle-Pace Field.

MSU improved to 34-14-1 overall and finished the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 19-5-1 mark. Troy fell to 27-23.

In the first inning, Jack Kruger started things with a one-out walk. Nathaniel Lowe followed with a base hit. Gavin Collins had an RBI-double, while Brent Rooker had an RBI-single. A wild pitch scored another run and an RBI-single by Reid Humphreys pushed the Bulldogs to a 4-0 lead.

The Bulldogs scored twice more in the second inning with Ryan Gridley getting things going with a leadoff single. After a lineout, Jake Mangum walked. Kruger followed with an RBI-double, while Lowe laced a sacrifice fly.

An RBI-double by Mangum capped the Maroon and White scoring and pushed MSU to a 7-1 lead in the fourth inning.

(Photo Courtesy: Kelly Price, MSU Athletics)

Such offense would be more than enough for six MSU pitchers. Zac Houston drew the start and worked the first inning. Ryan Cyr, Keegan James, Ryan Rigby, Kale Breaux and Blake Smith followed in relief. Smith got back-to-back strikeouts in the eighth inning to work the Bulldogs out of a tight spot.

Houston (4-0) picked up the win, while Smith got his third save.

Kruger, Rooker, Gridley and Collins each had two hits to pace the Bulldogs.

Troy finished with seven hits, including multi-hit nights by T.J. Bender and Joey Denison.

MSU returns to action this weekend with a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Auburn. The Bulldogs and Tigers meet at 6 p.m. Friday (SEC Network +), 3:30 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network) and 1 p.m. Sunday (SEC Network +).