No. 4 Bulldogs drop extra innings game, win series over No. 19 Gamecocks

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo
·2 min read

May 9—COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina salvaged a win on Sunday afternoon, but the Mississippi State baseball team walked out of Founders Park with a big series victory on the road.

No. 19 South Carolina beat No. 4 Mississippi State, 4-3, in 11 innings on Sunday afternoon.

The Gamecocks, who trailed by a run in the ninth inning, tied the game up on a RBI double from Jeff Heinrich with one out before winning on a RBI double by David Mendham in the 11th.

Mississippi State (36-11, 16-8) won the series, 2-1, and is one game back of both Arkansas and Tennessee and a half-game back of Vanderbilt for first place in the SEC.

South Carolina took an early 2-0 lead off of Mississippi State starter Jackson Fristoe when Mendham hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning.

The Bulldogs battled back and cut the lead to 2-1 on a Kamren James sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning, then took a 3-2 lead with solo home runs from Tanner Allen in the fifth inning and Rowdey Jordan in the sixth inning.

But unlike the first two games of the series, Mississippi State's offense did not continue to put up runs. The Bulldogs stranded 13 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded two times and stranding three base runners in extra innings.

MSU was 2-15 at the plate with runners on base and 0-7 with runners in scoring position.

Despite the poor hitting performance, MSU's 3-2 lead held until the bottom of the ninth inning. Preston Johnson, who was MSU's fifth pitcher of the game, allowed back-to-back singles before Lemonis brought in lefty Cam Tullar.

Tullar got the first batter he faced out, but USC pinch hitter Jeff Heinrich hit a RBI double to right field to tie the game, 3-3, and put two runners in scoring position with one out.

Brandon Smith then entered the game and struck out back-to-back hitters to send the game to extra innings.

Smith, who threw 16 pitches in Saturday's win, stayed in the game for extra innings and was handed the loss. He allowed three hits in two innings of work.

MSU stranded two base runners in the top of the 10th after Brayland Skinner doubled and Kellum Clark walked, then stranded Tanner Allen at first in the top of the 11th.