No. 7 Mississippi State (1-0, 0-0 SEC) opened up the new season with a statement win at Globe Life Field, knocking off No. 9 Texas (0-1, 0-0 Big 12) 8-3 behind sound pitching and a 3-4 day at the plate from Luke Hancock.
FINAL | No. 7 @HailStateBB takes care of No. 9 @TexasBaseball, 8-3, this afternoon. Christian MacLeod and Landon Sims led the way on the mound, Luke Hancock did it on the mound. Very very impressive performance by the Bulldogs.
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) February 20, 2021
The Diamond Dawgs‘ pitching staff recorded 18 strikeouts on the afternoon, including 10 from reliever Landon Sims. Sims notched the win, giving up no hits in four innings of work.
Mississippi State got the scoring started in the top of the second with back-to-back RBI singles from Landon Jordan and Drew McGowan. Hancock then connected for a solo shot in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 3-0.
A throwing error from Trey Faltine allowed another runner to score, and the Bulldogs took a 4-0 lead into the fifth.
Dawgs score two in the fourth on Hancock’s first-career homer and a Longhorn error.
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) February 20, 2021
Mississippi State 4, Texas 0 pic.twitter.com/K9sPQJCDRI
Jordan’s Homerun seals the deal for Mississippi State Baseball
Hancock’s two-out single drove in Tanner Allen in the fifth, giving State a 5-0 lead. Texas got things going in the bottom half of the inning, as Ivan Melendez got the Longhorns on the board with a solo homer to lead off the inning.
Texas loaded the bases with no outs before Sims came in a shut the door with three straight strikeouts to end the threat.
State opened up the sixth with a walk to Landon Jordan and a single from Drew McGowan. Jordan came around to score after a Rowdey Jordan‘s fielder choice to answer Texas’s run in the top half of the inning.
Jordan put an exclamation point on Saturday’s ballgame with a solo home run to left field to put State up 7-1. A few batters later, Josh Hatcher doubled inside the bag at first, and Tanner Allen crossed home plate to give the Dawgs their eighth run of the contest.
Texas scored two in the bottom of the ninth, but Spencer Price came in and shut the door for Mississippi State to secure the 8-3 win.
Christian MacLeod started the opener for MSU, going four-plus innings, allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out seven and walking none. Sims came in relief and struck out 10 in four innings. Riley Self and Price finished off the ninth for Mississippi State.
Hancock led the Bulldogs offensively with three hits and two RBIs, including a home run. Drew McGowan and Tanner Allen finished with two hits apiece. Altogether, Mississippi State managed 12 hits on the day.
Texas finished with nine hits and was led by Melendez and Silas Ardoin, each with two. The Longhorns used six pitchers in the loss, with starter Ty Madden taking the loss in four innings of work.
Mississippi State will suit up again at Globe Life Field tomorrow at 11 AM CT against No. 10 TCU. Righty Will Bednar will draw the start on the mound for the 1-0 Bulldogs.