No. 11 Mississippi State beats Auburn 10-3 in series opener

STARKVILLE, Miss. — No. 11 Mississippi State opened its series against No. 6 Auburn with a dominant 10-3 win Thursday night at Dudy Noble Field. The Bulldogs improved to 38-12 overall and 15-10 in Southeastern Conference play.

Chance’s early grand slam in the first inning gave the Bulldogs a quick lead. He finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs, including a double and a home run. Tomas Valincius struck out 13 batters over 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits in his eighth win of the season, according to team sources.

MSU’s offense totaled 16 hits and hit three home runs, building a lead that Auburn could not overcome. The Tigers, with a 33-15 record, managed only four hits and struck out 15 times against Valincius and reliever Jack Bauer. Auburn’s Jake Marciano took the loss after allowing four runs in two innings.

The Bulldogs scored in five different innings, with contributions from multiple players. Gehrig Frei hit his ninth home run of the season, and Jacob Parker added his 11th, while Ryder Woodson also drove in two runs. Auburn’s Bub Terrell hit a solo home run and added two RBIs.

Mississippi State will look to secure the series win Friday at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network+. The Bulldogs will send Duke Stone to the mound against Auburn’s Andreas Alvarez, according to team officials.

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