STARKVILLE — Timely hitting and a solid outing from the bullpen led the No. 9 Mississippi State baseball team to a 3-2 victory against Alabama-Birmingham at Dudy Noble Field.
The Bulldogs (4-0) and Blazers (3-1) exchanged scoreless innings in the first four frames before UAB reached senior starting pitcher Peyton Plumlee in the fifth. The Blazers used four singles to scratch across a pair of two-out runs before freshman Brandon Smith recorded a lineout to end the frame.
“I though Peyton was really good early, but I thought he got a little tired,” MSU coach Chris Lemonis said. “He didn’t throw too many balls, he threw too many strikes in the middle of the zone in that inning. He left some balls over the plate, but I thought he was really good tonight.”
UAB starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft, a former Bulldog, didn’t allow a hit before exiting the game with two outs in the sixth inning. Ty Harris recorded the final out of the sixth for UAB.
MSU sophomore Justin Foscue’s single broke up the no-hitter with one out in the seventh. He moved to third and scored on a Dustin Skelton two-out infield single. Junior Gunner Halter then reached on an error and moved into scoring position with Skelton on a wild pitch. Jake Mangum’s hit to right field scored both runners to give MSU the lead.
Smith threw 1 1/3 scoreless frames to set up junior Riley Self, who threw a scoreless seventh. Graduate student Cole Gordon closed the door with two innings of one-hit relief. Gordon recorded the final out via groundout with a runner on third base for his first save. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 18 2/3 innings.
n Ole Miss 15, Arkansas State 3: At Oxford, the Rebels had 19 hits, which was their most since 2016, to improve to 2-1.
Ole Miss had two five-run innings and a four-run inning to roll to the easy win.
The three through six spots in the lineup went 18-for-22 with 13 RBIs and nine runs.
Sophomore Tyler Keenan turned in a career-high five RBIs on a 3-for-5 day with a home run. Junior Thomas Dillard drove in three with a triple and a home run. Both also scored twice, joining senior Ryan Olenek, who was 4-for-5 to match a career high, and sophomore Anthony Servideo, who had two hits. Junior Cole Zabowski added three hits, including a double.
Junior Grae Kessinger (three hits) and sophomore Carl Gindl each scored three times.
The Ole Miss bullpen combined for 10 strikeouts in seven shutout innings. Houston Roth and Connor Green struck out in two innings in their season debuts.
Ole Miss will conclude the series against Arkansas State in May, when it travels to Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Ole Miss will go on the road for the first time this season when it faces Tulane in New Orleans this weekend.
n Four former Southern Mississippi players in major league camps: Two former Southern Miss baseball players hold Major League Baseball active roster spots, while two more are non-roster invitees for Spring Training as camps in Florida and Arizona begin this month.
Brian Dozier, a seven-year MLB veteran, who played for the Minnesota Twins for most of his career before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deadline deal last July, signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals last month and is expected to be their starting second baseman on opening day.
Pitcher Cody Carroll, who made his big league debut last summer, continues to hold a spot on the Baltimore Orioles pitching staff as a member of their 40-man roster. Carroll was a 22nd-round selection by the New York Yankees in 2015, but was traded to the Orioles at the deadline and made his MLB debut on Aug. 1, 2018.
Pitcher Scott Copeland also signed a contract with the Nationals in the offseason. He is a non-roster invitee to camp. Copeland has played briefly with the Toronto Blue Jays (2015) and the New York Mets (2018).
Chuckie Robinson was invited to join the Houston Astros in spring training. The Astros drafted and signed him in 2016 in the 21st round. Robinson played for the Buies Creek (N.C.) Astros last summer in the Advanced A Carolina League and batted .238 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs.
n Alabama’s game against Alabama State canceled: At Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Alabama’s game against Alabama State scheduled for Wednesday was postponed.
No makeup date has been determined.
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