Late-Inning Offense Pushes No. 2 Mississippi State Past Samford

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A four-run seventh inning pushed No. 2 Mississippi State past Samford on Wednesday with a 6-4 win at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Samford (14-6) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but MSU (20-2, 2-1 SEC) scored six unanswered runs to capture the midweek victory.

Samford’s four-run bottom of the first began with a walk. After the walk, redshirt-junior Jordan Fucci hit a home run to left center to make it 2-0. Sophomore Brooks Carlson then singled and came around to score on a throwing error that allowed sophomore Max Pinto to reach first. He then scored on a single by redshirt-junior Connor Burns.

State then scored a run in the fourth and fifth inning to cut the deficit in half. The top of the fourth began with a a triple from junior Dustin Skelton. A ground out then scored him to make it 4-1 after four frames. After a ground out began the fifth inning, senior Elijah MacNamee drew a walk. Sophomore Justin Foscue then followed that up with an RBI double to make it a 4-2 ballgame.

The scored stayed the same until the top of the seventh when MSU scored four runs on four hits with the help of two Samford errors. Foscue got things started with a one-out single to right field before senior Marshall Gilbert singled. Both runners moved up a base on the play after a fielding error by the shortstop. Skelton then drew a walk to load the bases. A fielder’s choice scored Foscue before sophomore Rowdey Jordan’s single scored another run. An RBI single by senior Jake Mangum scored one run before a Samford error plated the fourth run of the frame to give MSU a game-clinching 6-4 lead.

For the game, MSU held an 11-10 hits advantage, with Mangum and Foscue leading the way with three hits apiece. Jordan also turned in a multi-hit performance with two.

Senior right-hander Peyton Plumlee got the start on the mound and tossed three innings, where he allowed four runs—three earned—on six hits. He struck out three batters and walked two.

Redshirt-junior Spencer Price was the first pitcher to throw in relief. He tossed a scoreless fourth inning with two strikeouts and a walk to go with two hits. Redshirt-junior Tyler Spring (1-0) earned the win after pitching two shutout innings. He surrendered one hit and struck out three batters. Redshirt-junior Trysten Barlow and junior Colby White pitched the seventh and eighth innings before graduate student Cole Gordon closed things out with a three-strikeout ninth inning.

Senior Jack Rude (0-2) is charged with the Samford loss after tossing 2 ¹⁄₃ innings. He allowed four unearned runs on four hits to go with one strikeout and two walks.

MSU will now return to Starkville to host No. 16 Auburn in its first home Southeastern Conference series of the year. First pitch on Friday will be at 6 p.m CT at Dudy Noble Field.