Mississippi State Baseball Tops Quinnipiac

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The No. 12 Mississippi State baseball team topped the Quinnipiac Bobcats, 5-1, Friday evening at Dudy Noble Field in the first game of a three-game series.

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 8-4, while the Bobcats fall to 1-9.

After three scoreless innings, MSU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman Logan Tanner drew a one-out walk before junior Josh Hatcher blasted a ball over the right field fence to give State the 2-0 lead.

Junior Jordan Westburg began the bottom of the fifth inning off with a solo home run to right center to give MSU a 3-0 lead. Junior Justin Foscue followed by drawing a walk before moving up to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Brandon Pimentel then drew a walk to put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt moved them up a base before Tanner’s RBI groundout scored Foscue and gave the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead.

Westburg then began the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle. After a flyout, Pimentel singled through the right side. A pinch-hit RBI single from freshman Kamren James extended State’s lead to 5-0.

Sophomore Michael Kohn scored the Bobcats’ lone run with a solo home run down the right field line.

Redshirt freshman left-hander Christian MacLeod (4-0) continued to show his dominance with 12 strikeouts in six innings pitched. He allowed two hits and walked one batter.

Graduate student Carlisle Koestler allowed one run on one hit in two innings pitched and graduate Spencer Price threw four pitches in the ninth.

Senior pitcher Christian Nicolosi (0-2) was charged with the Quinnipiac loss after allowing two runs on four hits in 3 ²⁄₃ innings pitched. He struck out two batters and walked six.

The series will continue Saturday at 2 p.m.