OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi State rallied in the ninth inning and held on to beat Ole Miss 5-4 in an SEC baseball game Friday night at Swayze Field, according to the teams.
The Bulldogs (22-4, 5-2 SEC) scored two runs in the ninth to secure the victory. Runners advanced to second and third on singles by Ryder Woodson and Bryce Chance. Jacob Parker drove in the tying run with a groundout, and Chone James delivered the game-winning RBI triple to right field, putting State ahead 5-4.
Ole Miss (19-8, 3-4 SEC) took an early lead with a home run in the fourth inning. The Rebels added a run in the seventh on a three-run homer, reclaiming a 4-3 lead before Mississippi State’s late surge. The Bulldogs responded with a three-run sixth inning, sparked by an RBI single from Ace Reese, an RBI double from Noah Sullivan, and an infield single from Ryder Woodson.
State’s pitching staff limited Ole Miss to four hits despite two home runs. Charlie Foster started for the Bulldogs, allowing one run over 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Pitzer earned the win, striking out four over the final two innings. Ole Miss was cut down at the plate in the ninth, ending the game.
Mississippi State will send Tomas Valincius to the mound in game two of the series Saturday at 1:30 p.m., which will be broadcast on SEC Network+. Ole Miss will counter with Hudson Calhoun.
