Mississippi State Baseball Tallies Fourth-Straight Win in Midweek Victory Over Binghamton

The Diamond Dawgs picked up a much-needed 13-5 victory over the Bearcats on Monday.

Mississippi State had a slow start to Monday’s midweek game against Binghamton, but the Bulldogs picked things up when it mattered most and came away with a 13-5 victory. 

Freshman right-handed pitcher Jack Walker got the start on the mound and recorded five strikeouts in two innings pitched with four runs, four hits and two walks. Brooks Auger ultimately picked up the win after striking out two batters in the eighth inning. Offensively, RJ Yeager had an outstanding game and went 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and four RBI on two home runs. Freshman Hunter Hines batted 2-for-5 with three RBI, two runs scored and a home run. Logan Tanner had three crucial RBIs late in the game, while Tanner Leggett added a home run of his own. 

Binghamton jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but MSU was able to respond quickly. Jess Davis scored the Diamond Dawgs’ first run of the game on an error, and Hines and Kellum Clark each drove in a run. 

A double to center field in the top of the second inning scored three runs and gave the Bearcats the 4-3 advantage. Mississippi State wasn’t able to catch up until Yeager hit his first home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game at four. Binghamton responded with its own home run in the fifth inning against shortstop-turned-pitcher Lane Forsythe, and the Bearcats took a 5-4 lead with plenty of momentum on their side. 

Once again, the Diamond Dawgs were able to tie things up in the bottom of the sixth inning with a bases-loaded walk against Tanner that scored Davis. The game stayed knotted with each team playing well defensively— until the bottom of the eighth inning, that is.

Tanner drove in two runs with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the Bulldogs in front by a score of 7-5. Hines cleared the bases with a two-run moonshot to right field to push MSU’s lead to four. Mississippi State continued to put runners on base, and it paid off. A three-run homer by Yeager— his second of the day— gave State the 12-5 lead and put the game totally out of reach for the Bearcats. Leggett hit a home run before the inning ended to add insult to injury. 

Jackson Fristoe gave up no runs when he pitched in the top of the ninth inning, and the Diamond Dawgs walked away with the 13-5 victory. 

Mississippi State will begin SEC play this coming weekend as the Bulldogs travel to Athens to face off against No. 20 Georgia. The first game of the series will begin at 6 p.m. CT on Friday.