Cowbell Corner

Six-run Inning Sends Mississippi State to 9-4 Win Over Lipscomb

Noah Sullivan drove in four runs as Bulldogs used a big second inning to secure series win.
Andy Hodges|
Mississippi State's Noah Sullivan against Lipscomb
Mississippi State's Noah Sullivan against Lipscomb | MSU Athletics

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Arkansas Razorbacks

Mississippi State didn’t wait around to get its offense moving Friday night.

After taking a few innings to wake up in the first game of the series, the Bulldogs struck early and never let Lipscomb fully climb back into the game. A six-run second inning gave State the cushion it needed, and that lead carried the home team to a 9-4 win at Dudy Noble Field.

The result gave Mississippi State the series and moved the team to 13-2 on the season.

The biggest night at the plate belonged to Noah Sullivan. The senior first baseman went 4-for-5, drove in four runs, doubled and hit a home run. His production led an 11-hit attack and gave State a steady bat in the middle of the lineup from start to finish.

When the Dawgs needed a key swing, Sullivan kept showing up.

Jacob Parker also made a big mark on the game. The freshman gave Mississippi State an early jolt with a two-run home run in the second inning.

That swing started the scoring in the frame and opened the door for an inning that quickly got out of hand for Lipscomb. Drew Wyers helped keep the pressure on by drawing four walks, giving the Bulldogs more chances to cash in.

After Parker’s homer, State kept building. With two outs, three walks loaded the bases. On the final walk, a wild pitch brought in another run.

Sullivan then delivered the biggest blow of the inning with a three-run homer that pushed the lead to 6-0. In a matter of minutes, Mississippi State turned a close game into one that clearly leaned in its favor.

Lipscomb answered in the third inning with two runs against starter Tomas Valincius, but the early damage had already been done.

Valincius worked 4.0 innings and allowed four hits, two walks and two runs while striking out six. The left-hander gave State enough length to hand the ball to the bullpen with the lead still in solid shape.

The Bulldogs added more in the sixth inning. Consecutive one-out RBI singles from Sullivan and Gherig Frei stretched the margin to 8-2. Frei finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a triple, while Andrew Raymond also went 2-for-5, added an RBI and doubled.

That trio of Sullivan, Frei and Raymond gave Mississippi State steady production through the heart of the order.

Lipscomb Didn’t Go Away Quietly

The Bisons hit a two-out solo home run off reliever Chris Billingsley, then got closer in the eighth when a two-out error by James Nunnallee helped trim the lead to 8-4. Even so, State had built enough room to absorb those mistakes and still stay in control late in the game.

The Dawgs answered that push in the bottom of the eighth. Sullivan led off the inning with a double, and Raymond later brought him home with a one-out RBI single.

That run restored the five-run margin at 9-4 and removed any late doubt. It was one more example of Mississippi State responding when Lipscomb tried to shift the game’s momentum.

On the mound, the bullpen gave State helpful innings behind Valincius. Tyler Pitzer turned in a strong relief outing, striking out four and allowing only one hit in 2.0 scoreless innings.

Billingsley worked 2.0 innings, gave up three hits and two runs, and struck out two. Jack Gleason closed the game with a scoreless ninth, allowing one hit and striking out two.

As a staff, the Bulldogs piled up 14 strikeouts against just two walks, marking the 12th time this season they reached double-digit strikeouts in a game.

Bulldogs Get Series, Momentum into Saturday

By the end of Friday night, Mississippi State had done exactly what it wanted.

The offense came alive early, the middle of the lineup produced, and the pitching staff missed plenty of bats.

Sullivan racked up on Lipscomb through the late innings. It wasn’t a perfect game, but it was a winning one, and the Bulldogs had the series in hand.

State also left the field with a quick turnaround ahead. According to the story, Mississippi State and Lipscomb were set to try to beat the weather with a 10 a.m. first pitch on Saturday morning at Dudy Noble Field.

They literally have a shot at dancing around raindrops to fit a series sweep into the books when other teams are just trying to play games. These count in May.

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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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