No. 4 Bulldogs earn 4-1 walk-off win over Eastern Michigan

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Sophomore Logan Tanner’s three-run home run lifted the No. 4 Mississippi State baseball team to a 4-1 series-clinching win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday evening at Dudy Noble Field.

Eastern Michigan (4-4, 0-0 MAC) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning on junior Taylor Hopkins’ home run off MSU junior right-handed pitcher Eric Cerantola.

The Eagles held the one-run lead until the bottom of the ninth when senior Tanner Allen singled, moved up to second after sophomore Kamren James was hit by a pitch and scored on junior Luke Hancock’s RBI single to tie things at 1-1. Tanner followed with a three-run blast to give the Bulldogs (12-3, 0-0 SEC) a 4-1 walk-off win.

MSU outhit Eastern Michigan 4-2 and was led by Allen with two.

Cerantola tossed five innings and allowed just one hit, the solo home run, with five strikeouts. Right-handed graduate student pitcher Carlisle Koestler (2-0) was credited with the win for the Bulldogs after allowing one hit and striking out two batters in three innings of work.

Junior righty Justin Meis (0-2) was charged with the Eastern Michigan loss after allowing three runs on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks in eight innings pitched.

The Bulldogs will look for the series sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. It can be watched on SEC Network+.