Diamond Dawg bats explode as No. 18 State opens Astros Classic with run-rule win over Rice

A steady offensive output would turn into an explosion for No. 18 Mississippi State to start the Astros Foundation Classic on Friday.

State scored eight runs without an out in the seventh inning and Ace Reese capped the game with a two-run home run to walk off Rice 14-3 in seven innings. The Diamond Dawgs had 16 hits and got another strong start from Pico Kohn in the win.

“I’m more pleased with the hitters getting some swings off and feeling good,” head coach Chris Lemonis told the postgame radio. “The guy that started was really good and we just weren’t able to get on him early. It was good to see us get some good swings late. It was a good ball game there for the first five or six (innings).”

Seventh inning wraps up monster day at the plate for Diamond Dawgs

In a game that had a little back and forth in it most of the way, it was State’s offensive explosion in the seventh that would put away the Owls for good.

In the seventh and holding a 6-3 lead, the Bulldogs scored eight runs on eight hits without an out. Three different players hit home runs with two doubles and a triple in the mix as well.

Aaron Downs started it all by pinch hitting and driving his third homer of the year to left center. After a Bryce Chance double into left field, Nolan Stevens hit a two-run shot to right field. Sawyer Reeves signled and was brought home on a Dylan Cupp double making it 10-3.

After Gehrig Frei had a single through the left side, Ross Highfill would triple home two runs. Reese ended things with a homer just inside the pole in left field for the 14-3 final.

Leaving 12 runners on base in a 6-5 loss to Troy earlier in the week, State came through with some big hits on Friday. The Bulldogs left seven stranded but had 21 base runners against Rice pitching.

The Diamond Dawgs had a 3-0 lead in the game through three innings as Stevens dropped in a two-out RBI single in the second and Reed Stallman delivered a two-run hit in the third. Rice would cut the lead to one run twice with a two-run homer in the fifth with two outs and then a two-out triple after a couple of defensive miscues from State.

As was the case all night, State would answer. Stevens and Reeves were in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth and Frei brought them home with a single making it 6-3. Chase Hungate got the squad out of trouble in the top of the seventh with consecutive strikeouts with runners in scoring position.

“That’s how you’ve got to win games – you’ve got to fight back,” Lemonis said. “We’ve kind of struggled with that a little bit so it was nice to see guys play well in that moment.”  

Kohn delivers another quality start

It was another well-pitched game from the Bulldogs. Kohn (2-0) threw 6.1 innings, gave up four hits, three runs, two earned runs and two walks while striking out six. It was his first two walks of the season.

Through three starts, Kohn has now thrown 17.2 frames, scattered nine hits, three earned runs, two walks and struck out 28 batters.

“For the most part he was really good and that’s what an ace does,” Lemonis said. “He held it all together and pitched with a lot of poise.”

Hungate came in and gave up a base runner on an infield single right away and an error put two in scoring position. He struck out the next two batters to end that threat.

Offensively, State had five players notch multiple hits. Frei continues to swing a great bat and was 3-for-5 with two RBI and a double. Stevens was 3-for-4 with a game-high three RBI and a home run. Highfill, Reese and Reeves all had two hits with Reese and Highfill driving in two runs each.

State also got two RBI from Stallman on his one hit.

After the win, the Bulldogs (7-2) will try to get another win in Houston, Texas at 3:05 p.m. on Saturday with a matchup with Arizona.