No. 4 Mississippi State Breaks It Open in Fifth, Tops Arizona State 8-4

No. 4 Mississippi State used a big fifth inning to defeat Arizona State 8-4 at the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series and improve to 10-0.

Mississippi State pitcher Ryan McPherson picked up the win in Friday's game against Arizona State at the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series in Arlington, Texas. | Mississippi State Athletic

Baseball games can flip quickly, and Friday’s matchup between No. 4 Mississippi State and Arizona State showed how fast a pitcher’s duel can turn into something else entirely.

For four innings, neither team had a hit. Ryan McPherson and Cole Carlon traded zeros, each allowing just one walk and nothing else. It felt like the kind of game where the first mistake might decide everything.

The fifth inning changed that.

Arizona State’s Dominic Longo broke up McPherson’s no‑hitter with a two‑out single to right, but it didn’t amount to anything. Mississippi State’s answer did. Blake Bevis ended Carlon’s no‑hit bid with a single up the middle, Ryder Woodson walked behind him, and Bryce Chance drove in the first run with a single to left.

That knocked Carlon out of the game, and the new arm didn’t settle things down. Gehrig Frei, pinch‑hitting for Drew Wyers, jumped on the first pitch he saw and sent it over the right‑field wall for a 4–0 lead.

From there, Mississippi State kept piling on. Chone James drove in two more with a single through the left side, and Reed Stallman followed with another RBI knock. The inning finally ended with the bases loaded and Ace Reese striking out, but not before the Bulldogs built a 7-1 cushion.

McPherson kept Arizona State quiet for one more inning before exiting after seven strong frames: one run, four hits, three walks, and five strikeouts on 90 pitches. It was the kind of outing Mississippi State needed with two more games ahead this weekend, including Sunday against No. 1 UCLA.

The teams traded runs in the eighth, with Aidan Teel adding to the Bulldogs’ total. Maddox Miller handled the ninth, giving up a pair of solo home runs but keeping the Sun Devils from making it interesting.

The 8-4 win brings the Bulldogs to 10-0 this season, but there are more challenges to come this weekend.

Winning/Losing Pitchers

• WP: Ryan McPherson (2-0) 7 IP, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 90 TP
• LP: Cole Carlon (2-1) 4.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 81 TP

Mississippi State Batting Leaders

Gehrig Frei: 1-2, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB
Chone James: 2-4, 1 R, 1 K, 1 SB
Aidan Teel: 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB
Noah Sullivan: 1-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 SB

Next Up

Mississippi State will continue its weekend in Arlington on Saturday against a team O’Connor is very familiar with. The Bulldogs will face Virginia Tech at 3 p.m. Saturday at Globe Life Field.

As the head coach at Virginia, O’Connor posted a 42-19 record against the Hokies. He’ll look to start 1-0 against them Saturday.