For five innings, Mississippi State’s Khal Stephen and Ole Miss’s Riley Maddox were engaged in a pitcher’s duel. It ended in the top of the sixth, when State batted around and put seven runs on the board, leading to an 8-0 victory for the Bulldogs in game one of the series in Oxford.
A bunt single by David Mershon turned into a Dakota Jordan home run, his 15th of the season. State would chase Maddox, then reliver Austin Simmons before Mitchell Murrell was able to get the Rebels off the field. In all, State sent 10 batters to the plate, with 6 hits and 2 walks.
Dakota 💣
📺» https://t.co/lYVs4kpaW6#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/X4CzOizXR5
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) April 13, 2024
On the mound, Stephen was dominant, giving State 8 innings of shut out baseball, only giving up three hits, striking out 9 with no walks allowed. Tyson Hardin pitched an inning of scoreless relief to close it out. Stephen’s performance came a year after he faced the Rebels as the Friday night starter for Purdue, an outing that saw him give up 8 runs in 2 innings. Stephen said that outing was on his mind when he took the mound tonight, and he was determined not to have a repeat performance.
Another K for Khal Stephen!
📺» https://t.co/lYVs4kpaW6#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/s6OW0jncRa
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) April 13, 2024
State improves to 22-12 on the season, 7-6 in SEC play. Ole Miss falls to 18-16 and 3-10 in conference play. Game 2 will see a 7:30 first pitch at Swayze Field, with Jurrangelo Cinjtie on the mound for the Bulldogs and Liam Doyle for the Rebels.
