Mississippi State stayed perfect for the young 2020 campaign, taking advantage of 11 free passes courtesy the Oregon State pitching staff to grab a 7-4 win over the Beavers on Saturday at Dudy Noble Field. State scored three runs in the second inning via bases on balls, then kept OSU at bay the rest of the game. Josh Hatcher answered a two run Beaver rally with a solo home run in the fourth, and State would tack on a couple of more before Alex McGarry’s two run blast in the top of the ninth provided the final margin. State is now 5-0 on the season, and will look to get the sweep tomorrow afternoon.
MACLEOD CONTINUES TO ROLL
Christian MacLeod looks strong through 2 scoreless innings for @HailStateBB, with 3 strikeouts. Pumping strikes at 89-91, very good swing-and-miss downer curve at 77-79, useful changeup at 83-85 to get soft groundball contact vs. righties. Bulldogs lead 1-0, B2. pic.twitter.com/icue8KxY6F
— Aaron Fitt (@aaronfitt) February 22, 2020
Make it two impressive starts in a row for the big lefthander Christian Macleod, who followed his debut a week ago with another strong outing. Macleod went five innings, striking out 7, and battling back nicely from a tough fourth inning to shut down the Beavers in the fifth. With JT Ginn’s status up in the air, the Bulldogs may have ro rely on Macleod more than they originally planned to, but nothing the freshman has done so far has made you believe he wouldn’t be capable of handling a larger role.
HATCH HAMMERS ONE OUT
Hammerin' Hatch 🔨 pic.twitter.com/cELavCGFZO
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) February 22, 2020
Mississippi State has seen offense come from all over the lineup in the first five games, and on Saturday, it was Josh Hatcher’s turn. He only had the one hit, but it was a long ball that answered Oregon State’s rally in the top of the fourth and pushed the Bulldog lead to 5-2. Hatcher has often been the forgotten man in the recruiting class that included Jordan, Westburg, Allen, and Foscue, but he has proven to be a key cog and looks to really step into the spotlight in his junior season.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Five straight victories and another series win.#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/RZb9kp7BQm
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) February 22, 2020
State will go for the sweep tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled at Dudy Noble Field for 1 PM. The Bulldogs will put sophomore right hander Eric Cerantola on the mound as they look to make it six wins in six games.
Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics
