From Special Reports
EUGENE, Ore. — After dropping a tough 1-0 decision in the series opener on Friday, the Mississippi State baseball team bounced back to end up on the opposite side of another one-run game at Oregon, winning 5-4 on Saturday evening at PK Park in comeback fashion.
Harrison Bragg came off the bench and collected three hits and scored twice. Jake Mangum extended his hitting streak to 24 games with a single in the third inning. Ryan Gridley also has hit safely in seven-straight contests after going 1-for-3 with a double. Brent Rooker went 2-for-3 with a double. Josh Lovelady had one of his best games of the year, earning a pair of hits and driving in two runs.
“This was a gigantic team victory today,” MSU head coach Andy Cannizaro said. “We had so many guys that played instrumental roles in this big win. I am so proud of our guys. The conditions were not great, but they just kept battling. We picked up tremendous clutch base hits by Josh Lovelady and Harrison Bragg.”
Oregon (5-4) struck first in the second with a pair of runs when Michael Dyer reached on a one-out double and reached third on a wild pitch. Dyer was driven in on a double by Tim Susnara, who found home on a single by Daniel Patzlaff.
The Bulldogs (7-4) fought back in the third with a one-out double by Luke Alexander that allowed Mangum to score all the way from first base.
The Ducks took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third on a two-out single to right field by Dyer that scored A.J. Balta.
MSU tied it up in the sixth with a pair of runs. Josh Lovelady hit a two-out, two-run single up the middle to drive in Bragg and Elijah MacNamee.
The Bulldogs tacked on two more runs in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead. Cole Gordon hit a one-out single through the right side to drive in Bragg. Gridley then drew a bases-loaded walk that allowed Lovelady to score.
Oregon would not go down without some drama in the ninth. Morgan McCullough forced a leadoff walk and stole second. Jake Bennett then laced a one-out single to left field to drive in McCullough. That run rounded out the scoring for the Ducks, as they were unable to cash in a two-on, two-out situation.
Riley Self (2-0) earned his second win of the year in relief. The freshmen went 2.2 innings and allowed one run on just one hit. He struck out three batters and walked three. Spencer Price came in to get the final out of the game and earned his second save of the year in as many opportunities.
Connor Zwetch (0-1) took the loss for Oregon. He allowed two runs on four hits and struck out one batter in 0.2 innings of work.
The series between the Ducks and Bulldogs will conclude with a 2 p.m. start today.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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