MOBILE, Ala. — The Mississippi State University baseball team found its rhythm again Tuesday night.
MSU capped its road swing full of some near-misses with a hard-fought 6-4 victory against the University of South Alabama at Stanky Field. The victory helped the Bulldogs (24-8) finish the road swing 2-2 after a Southeastern Conference series last weekend at the University of Arkansas.
Wes Rea’s game-winning two-run single in the top half of the ninth inning pushed MSU to victory.
Battling back from injury, sophomore right-hander Brandon Woodruff allowed three hits and one run (earned) in six innings. He struck out four and walked none.
“Woodruff’s pitching was the highlight of the night,” MSU coach John Cohen said. “He challenged the hitters and kept it in the strike zone.”
The Bulldogs erased an early 1-0 deficit with a run in the fourth, two in the fifth, and one more in the sixth.
MSU tied the game at 1-all on a balk call in the fourth. A Hunter Renfroe double started the fifth. A wild pitch scored one run, while an RBI groundout by Brett Pirtle scored the other. Another error scored the game’s fourth run for the Bulldogs in the sixth.
“We hit a lot of balls pretty well,” Cohen said. “And Rea came through with a big at-bat. The show of MSU fans from the coast was impressive. The players and the staff appreciate the great support we have from the coast area.”
USA strung together a game-tying three-run seventh, thanks in large part to three errors. Myles Gentry started the inning but gave way to eventual winning pitcher Chad Girodo (3-1). Jonathan Holder worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save. The sophomore right-hander has now tied Jay Powell for sixth on the all-time MSU saves list with 17 in his career.
MSU had seven hits, including a multi-hit night by Renfroe. The junior outfielder saw his 15-game hit streak snapped Sunday at Arkansas.
USA (22-8) had five hits. James Traylor (2-3) took the loss.
MSU will return to Southeastern Conference at 6:30 p.m. Friday when it plays host to the University of Florida at Dudy Noble Field. The teams will play at 3 p.m. Saturday (Comcast Sports Southeast) and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
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