Three Takeaways from Mississippi State Baseball's Extra-Inning Victory Over Arkansas

The Diamond Dawgs knocked off Arkansas, 5-3 in the 12th inning on Sunday afternoon.

Mississippi State baseball had its most impressive performance of the season on the baseball field with a huge 5-3 victory over No. 2-ranked Arkansas in 12 innings of action.

The Bulldogs dropped the first two games of the weekend to lose the series, but avoiding a Sunday sweep was huge for the program. Mississippi State had lost the last eight matchups with the Razorbacks before the victory. Even last year's championship team couldn't handle the Hogs-- they were swept in front of a huge home crowd at Dudy Noble Field.

Here are three positive takeaways from MSU's big win that could help keep the momentum going over the next few weeks.

1. The Diamond Dawgs found a way to fight.

Despite being down in the series, Mississippi State entered the game determined to win-- and boy, did the Bulldogs battle hard. Everyone contributed and gave it everything. When Arkansas would catch anytime MSU took the lead, the Dawgs would either add another run or keep the Razorbacks from doing massive damage. 

Even when they missed big opportunities to score and grew frustrated, the Diamond Dawgs handled things well on defense to keep the game close. Stability and consistency have seemed absent for much of the season so far, but the team showed that they have what it takes to put together a complete game and compete with some of the nation's best players.

2. The bullpen delivered.

Mississippi State's bullpen has been a hot topic of discussion, especially since Landon Sims and Stone Simmons both went out with injuries early in the season. Starting pitcher Cade Smith had a stellar day, as he usually does: the sophomore pitched five innings and gave up only two runs on three hits with three batters walked and six strikeouts. When he left the game, the Bulldogs didn't have a big advantage over the Razorbacks, meaning that the bullpen had no room for error. 

Brooks Auger was the first reliever to enter the game, and he gave up just one run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 3.1 innings of action. Jackson Fristoe, who has struggled some in big games over the last month, proved himself. Fristoe was brought in to close the game out and lasted through extra innings. He picked up the win on the mound and struck out four batters while giving up just two hits and walking one.

3. Luke Hancock took charge on both sides of the ball.

Hancock hasn't had the best of luck over the last few games, but he was the star player for the Diamond Dawgs on Sunday afternoon. Offensively, he went 3-for-6 at the plate with a home run, one run scored and two RBIs. Hancock's home run came at the top of the first inning and set the game's tone early by giving his team the 1-0 lead. He later had the game-winning single to score Tanner Leggett in the 12th inning. 

As if his offensive performance wasn't big enough, Hancock had the game-saving catch in the bottom of the 11th inning. What would have been a line drive to right field to walk the game off for Arkansas was snagged out of the air, and he threw the caught ball over to second base to get the double play and escape the inning. It was certainly a much-needed confidence boost for Hancock.