A 5-run inning by Oregon State doomed Mississippi State in today’s matchup in Omaha, so after a 12-2 loss, the Bulldogs will now face an elimination game tomorrow.
A Hunter Stovall double drove in a run in the 1st inning to give MSU an early lead, but OSU came right back with a run of their own in the bottom of the opening frame. Then, they’d bust things wide open in the 2nd. After a leadoff double for OSU’s Kyle Nobach, things spiraled from there and MSU starter Jacob Billingsley was taken out midway through the inning after allowing 3 runs. Keegan James came in with the bases loaded, but couldn’t keep the Beavers from scoring 2 more runs.
State got one run back in the 3rd on another hit from Stovall, but that would be their final run of the game. OSU would scratch across another run in the 4th inning to stretch their lead back to 7-2.
State would go down in order in 5 of the 9 innings in today’s game and never found the same rhythm at the plate that they had on Tuesday against UNC.
Any hopes of an MSU comeback were dashed in the bottom of the 7th inning when OSU would break through for 4 more runs, and they would add another in the 8th to make it 12-2.
So, this sets up tomorrow’s matchup with a trip to the College World Series Final on the line. For Mississippi State, this isn’t the first time they’ve faced adversity this season, so they are certainly capable of bouncing back.
The time of tomorrow’s first pitch depends on the outcome tonight’s Florida/Arkansas matchup. If Florida wins, game time is at 2 p.m. If Arkansas wins, it will begin at 7 p.m.
