Mississippi State routs Nicholls 21-6 in seven-inning game

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State extended its winning streak with a dominant 21-6 victory over Nicholls at Dudy Noble Field on Tuesday night. The game lasted just seven innings due to the 10-run rule, with the Bulldogs improving to 37-12 this season.

Mississippi State fell behind early after Nicholls’s Caston Thompson hit a two-run homer in the top of the first. The Bulldogs responded with a 12-run bottom half, ignited by a grand slam from Jacob Parker and a 12-2 lead after one inning.

Reed Stallman and Ace Reese led the Bulldogs’ offense. Reese finished 4-for-5 with two home runs, three runs scored, and six RBIs. Stallman also went 4-for-5 with two homers, a double, four runs scored, and five RBIs. Parker added a three-hit game, including a grand slam, and drove in five runs.

Mississippi State scored six runs in the first inning alone, with other key hits from Blake Bevis, Gehrig Frei, and Noah Sullivan. The Bulldogs continued to add to their lead, with Stallman and Drew Wyers hitting back-to-back solo homers in the second and Stallman adding a two-run shot in the third.

Nicholls scored six runs in total, with two in the first, three in the fourth, and one in the fifth. Keegan Giger went 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI, while Thompson homered for the Colonels.

Starting pitcher Chris Billingsley Jr. allowed five runs over 3 1/3 innings for Mississippi State. Jack Gleason earned his seventh win of the season with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Parker Rhodes closed the game with two hitless innings. Austin Vargas took the loss for Nicholls, surrendering six runs in less than a full inning.

Mississippi State will host sixth-ranked Auburn in the final regular-season home series, beginning Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPNU. Fans can follow the team’s progress on social media under the handle ‘HailStateBB.’

Source: Original Article