STARKVILLE, Miss. — Vytas Valincius delivered a pair of clutch hits, including a three-run homer in the eighth inning, helping No. 15 Mississippi State beat Memphis 6-2 Tuesday night at Dudy Noble Field.
The Bulldogs (31-10) seized control late after Memphis took an early 1-0 lead. Memphis scored in the first inning on a double by Freddy Hernandez and a single by James Smith IV.
Mississippi State responded with two runs in the fourth, highlighted by an RBI single from Jacob Parker and a groundout from Ryder Woodson. The Tigers tied the game in the fifth when Hernandez homered to left field, but the Bulldogs regained the lead in the sixth. Bevis doubled, and Valincius followed with a pinch-hit RBI single to put MSU ahead 3-2.
Valincius’s three-run homer in the eighth extended Mississippi State’s lead, providing a cushion as the Bulldogs added three runs late. Bevis went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, while Valincius finished 2-for-2 with four RBIs. Parker also drove in a run, finishing with one hit.
Mississippi State used six pitchers to secure the win. Maddox Miller (3-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. Maddox Webb recorded the final two outs for his second save after inheriting a bases-loaded jam in the ninth. Jack Gleason also pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out four.
Memphis amassed 10 hits but stranded 11 runners. Hernandez led the Tigers, going 2-for-5 with a homer, double, and two runs scored. The Bulldogs will host LSU for a three-game SEC series starting Friday at 6 p.m., with games available on SEC Network+.
