Mississippi State Baseball: Bulldogs Use Explosive Sixth Inning to Win
By Ethan Lee
Mississippi State Overcomes New Mexico State’s Strong Pitching Performance
The New Mexico State Aggies found a way to stifle Mississippi State’s bats. The Bulldogs, against starting pitcher Alex Pinedo, simply couldn’t plate a single run. Pinedo struck out 6 batters in 5.2 innings. And it looked like he’d continue to perform well all night.
Until he got to the 6th inning, that is.
As it turns out, Pinedo more or less met his match in the 6th inning. Things kinda came unraveled for the Aggies’ pitcher there. And before Pinedo knew it, he had allowed the Mississippi State Bulldogs to load the bases. With the bases loaded and two outs, he then gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead by walking a run across home plate.
That’s where Pinedo’s night would end. And, as it turns out, that’s where everything came undone for the Aggies.
When New Mexico State pulled Pinedo, they placed Alvaro Castillo on the mound. And with Alvaro Castillo on the mound and two outs recorded, Rowdey Jordan blew the game wide open. Suddenly, Mississippi State’s meager lead became a 5-0 game.
After Jordan hit the grand slam, the Bulldogs were able to plate another run. This one would come an inning later. In the bottom of the 7th, Justin Foscue was able to get home on a wild pitch, giving MSU the 6-0 lead.
With the win, starting pitcher Zach Neff found his groove. Neff had previously struggled on the season, but he dominated in his time on the mound and earned his first win of the year. In 6 full innings, Neff struck out 8 batters all while only allowing 1 hit.
Mississippi State’s baseball team is surging forward. The Bulldogs are 8-5 and are currently riding a 5 game winning streak. This weekend, the Utah Valley Wolverines will come to Starkville to try their hands at beating MSU at home in a 3 game series.