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Diamond Dawgs get clutch hitting, strong finish from bullpen in 5-3 road win at Memphis

3rupauk8_400x400by:Robbie Faulk•04/01/25•

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Ryan McPherson (Photo by Mississippi State Athletics)

It took some time to find some production on the offensive side of the ball Tuesday night, but Mississippi State would finally get some in the later innings.

The Diamond Dawgs fell behind by three runs in the third inning but would score at least one run in four of the next five innings to earn a 5-3 win on the road at Memphis.

Some clutch at bats over the course of three-straight innings would do the job for the Bulldogs on Tuesday. State got a sac fly from Ace Reese and a two-out solo home run from Noah Sullivan to even the game at 3-3.

In the seventh frame, State pinch hit Sawyer Reeves and the senior second baseman came through with an RBI single with two outs. The Diamond Dawgs added another two-out hit in the eighth as Nolan Stevens singled home a run and made it 5-3.

Starting pitcher Noah Sullivan gave the Bulldogs 2.0 shutout innings and went to 10.0 innings this season without a run surrendered. Jacob Pruitt could not follow suit. The Indiana State transfer threw 1.0 inning and gave up three hits, three runs and a walk to allow the Tigers to build a 3-0 lead.

Freshman Ryan McPherson would shut that down as he entered the game in the fourth and would be lights out. After giving up a hit, McPherson retired 12-straight batters and struck out eight to garner the win.

Stone Simmons came in for the eighth inning and Memphis tried to get something going with two on base and just one out, but the senior struck out the side including the final two outs of the frame. Simmons finished things out in the ninth with a three-up-three-down inning and the quartet of State pitchers would strikeout a total of 13 batters to just one walk. McPherson and Simmons had 12 in 6.0 scoreless innings.

The State offense was outhit in the ball game 7-6, but got the ones that mattered. No one had multiple hits or runs in the ball game, but half of the base knocks would be extra base hits. Gehrig Frei and Dylan Cupp had doubles with Sullivan notching the solo homer.

MSU (17-12, 1-8 SEC) will be back home this weekend for a three-game set against South Carolina. The series begins on Friday against South Carolina at 6 p.m. Saturday’s game will be at 2 p.m. with a 1 p.m. first pitch for the finale on Sunday.

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