Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State Sweeps Hofstra with Rally and Dominant Arms

Mississippi State sweeps Hofstra behind strong pitching, timely doubles, and a late rrally to improve to 3-0.
Andy Hodges|
Mississippi State after winning first game against Hofstra.
Mississippi State after winning first game against Hofstra. | MSU Athletics

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State found different ways to win Saturday, leaning on pitching in one game and late offense in another to finish a weekend sweep of Hofstra.

The Bulldogs opened the day with a steady 5-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader, then followed it with a 7-5 win in the nightcap.

The results pushed MSU to 3-0 on the young season and showed two sides of the roster in Brian O’Connor’s first weekend in Starkville.

State had to rally in the finale after falling behind twice. But in the earlier contest, the Dawgs were in control from the start behind a trio of arms that kept the Pride quiet for most of nine innings.

It was a contrast from Friday’s tight opener, when Mississippi State edged Hofstra 6-5 despite managing only three hits. Saturday’s first game offered more breathing room, even if the offense still relied on timely swings instead of volume.

Reese helped set the tone early in game one. After doubling with one out in the first inning, he watched as Hofstra starter Sean Hamilton hit two batters and issued a walk to bring home the first run. A sacrifice fly by Ryder Woodson and an RBI single from Bryce Chance made it 3-0 before the Pride could settle in.

State didn’t pile up hits, but it made them count. In the fifth, James Nunnallee led off with a double, and Reese followed with another gap shot to drive in a run. Reed Stallman added an RBI double of his own, stretching the margin to 5-0.

That cushion proved more than enough for the Bulldogs’ pitching staff.

Pitching Sets Tone Early

Tomas Valincius, a left-handed transfer from Virginia, made his first career start for Mississippi State a day ahead of schedule. The move paid off.

Valincius worked 5.1 innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out six. He didn’t surrender a run and earned the win in his debut for the Diamond Dawgs.

Brendan Sweeney, a transfer from South Carolina, followed with 3.2 innings of relief. He gave up just two hits and didn’t issue a walk. His only blemish came on a solo home run with two outs in the ninth. Sweeney struck out five batters in his first appearance for State.

The Dawgs finished with eight hits in the opener. Reese and Chance each had two. Gehrig Frei, who had started Friday at second base, came off the bench in the ninth and delivered an RBI single on the first pitch he saw to add insurance.

While game one felt comfortable, the second game required more patience.

Mississippi State fell behind 3-0 in the opening inning of the nightcap. Starter Charlie Foster, making his sophomore season debut, pitched three innings but struggled to stay ahead in counts. With two outs and runners on, he gave up a three-run home run to CJ Griggs.

The Pride had momentum, but MSU answered quickly.

Offense Responds in Nightcap Rally

In the bottom of the first, Reese doubled again and later scored on a two-out RBI single from Aidan Teel, trimming the deficit to 3-1.

An inning later, the Bulldogs grabbed the lead with one swing. After a walk to Chone James and a double from Nunnallee, Reese launched a three-run home run to right-center field. It was State’s first homer of the season and flipped the score to 4-3.

Hofstra didn’t go away. Chris Billingsley allowed a single and then walked three straight batters to tie the game. Dane Burns entered but walked another hitter, giving the Pride a 5-4 advantage.

Again, the offense delivered.

Bryce Chance attempted to bunt a run home, and the pitcher couldn’t make the play, allowing the tying run to score. Moments later, James recorded his first hit as a Bulldog, lining a two-out single on the first pitch he saw to bring home two runs and give Mississippi State a 7-5 lead.

From there, the bullpen settled things down.

Jack Gleason, a redshirt freshman, made his Diamond Dawgs debut and pitched 1.1 innings. He allowed one hit and struck out two, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fifth and recording another key strikeout with a runner in scoring position in the sixth.

William Kirk, another Virginia transfer, followed with two scoreless innings. The left-hander gave up one hit, didn’t walk a batter, and struck out one.

Maddox Webb closed it out for MSU. Though he hit a batter and allowed a hit to put the tying runs on base, Webb struck out the side to earn the save in his first appearance for State.

The Bulldogs finished with 10 hits in the finale. Reese went 2-for-5 with three RBI, powered by his home run. Teel collected his first two hits for State, and Noah Sullivan added a hit and two walks.

Busy Week Ahead for MSU

With the sweep complete, Mississippi State heads into a demanding stretch of five games in one week.

The Bulldogs host Troy on Tuesday at 4 p.m., followed by Alcorn State on Wednesday at 4 p.m. A three-game series against Delaware begins Friday in Starkville.

Through three games, the Dawgs have shown they can win in different ways. In one contest, pitching and defense carried the load. In another, timely hitting erased early trouble.

For a team still settling into new roles and new faces, that flexibility may prove important as the schedule tightens.

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Andy Hodges
ANDY HODGES

Sports columnist, writer, former radio host and television host who has been expressing an opinion on sports in the media for over four decades. He has been at numerous media stops in Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.

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