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Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State's Midweek Win Won’t Fix Everything, But It Helped

No. 17 Mississippi State rolled to an 11-1 run-rule win over Samford, showing signs of life at the plate after a tough stretch in SEC play.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State pitcher Chris Billingsley celebrates a clean inning against Tulane in Biloxi.
Mississippi State pitcher Chris Billingsley celebrates a clean inning against Tulane in Biloxi. | Mississippi State Athletics

Midweek wins don’t add much to a team’s resume or its place in the various top‑25 polls.

But when a team with aspirations of playing the last game of the College World Series in June has lost six straight conference games, a strong midweek showing helps stop the bleeding and avoid another negative note on the resume.

What No. 17 Mississippi State did Tuesday night in an 11-1 run-rule win against Samford won’t erase the concerns from the last two weekends, but it does make things feel a little better.

Mississippi State scored 11 runs on 10 hits, drew more walks (9) than strikeouts (7), and finished with four extra-base hits, including home runs from Reed Stallman and Kevin Milewski.

The Bulldogs got going early. Stallman’s first‑inning homer drove in the first two runs, and they added five more in the second.

Samford scored its lone run in the third, and Mississippi State secured the run-rule with four more in the fifth, starting with Milewski’s leadoff homer.

It was fun to watch, but the result wasn’t the point.

The point was how Mississippi State won.

Pitchers pounding the zone, hitters taking advantage of mistakes, and the lineup cashing in when it mattered.

The Bulldogs went 5-for-11 with two outs, 8-for-17 with runners in scoring position, 2-for-2 with a runner on third and two outs, and 1-for-2 with the bases loaded.

That’s a solid night at the plate and a reminder of what this team is capable of when things click.

Pitching Decisions

  • WP: Maddox Miller (2-2), 2 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
  • LP: Ryan Vermillion (1-1), 1.2 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 1 WP, 1 HP

Mississippi State Batting Leaders

  • Reed Stallman: 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 K
  • Kevin Milewski: 1-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K
  • Ace Reese: 3-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B, 2 BB
  • Aidan Teel: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
  • Noah Sullivan: 1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HBP

Next Up

Mississippi State won’t spend much time back home in Starkville before heading back out on the road this weekend. The Bulldogs are set to begin a SEC weekend series against South Carolina (19-19, 5-10 SEC) starting Friday at 6 p.m.

The Gamecocks won their midweek game against Davidson, 8-6.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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