MSU Offense Explodes For 10-4 Win Against Irvin & No. 10 Oregon

Friday, March 11

Starkville

6:30 PM

Mississippi State

10-3-1

#8 Oregon

8-3

Oregon

Mississippi State

MSU Offense Explodes For 10-4 Win Against Irvin & No. 10 Oregon

March 12, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. – No. 21 Mississippi State kicked off a monster college baseball series with No. 10 Oregon on the right note Friday night.

Behind a three-hit night from Brent Rooker, a strong start from junior right-hander Dakota Hudson and a massive grand slam by Cody Brown, the Bulldogs knocked off the Ducks 10-4 on a wet night for baseball at Dudy Noble Field.

MSU improved to 10-3-1 overall and moved to 2-0 on a six-game homestand which will pave the way for the start of Southeastern Conference play next weekend at top-five Vanderbilt.

“We had some really great at-bats against one of the premier pitchers in the nation,” MSU head coach John Cohen said. “Sometimes, you do everything right and don't get rewarded. Tonight we were rewarded. Our pitchers threw strikes and we got a really big win.”

After a hard-fought loss to No. 20 UCLA last Friday night, Hudson (2-1) bounced back into the win column by working 5 2/3 innings and allowing four hits and two runs (both earned), with five walks and career high-matching nine strikeouts.

Oregon (8-3) built a 2-0 lead on A.J. Balta's third home run of the season in the first inning, the first allowed by Hudson since his first career start in February 2014.

After the blast, Hudson found a rhythm and only allowed three hits in the rest of his time. Zac Houston completed the sixth inning for the Bulldogs. After that, Blake Smith threw an inning and Vance Tatum threw two innings to close out the win.

For Tatum, it was his first save and the team's fourth this season in as many opportunities. The pitching staff as a whole struck out 12 batters, the ninth time in 14 games MSU struck out 10-plus hitters this spring.

MSU erased the early 2-0 deficit by scoring twice in the third inning.

Ryan Gridley reached on an error to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt by Jacob Robson, Rooker followed with an RBI-single. After a strikeout, Gavin Collins hit an RBI-double, scoring Rooker.

Rooker cranked a home run to left center in the fifth inning for his first round-tripper of the year, giving the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Later the inning, Collins had a two-out single. Reid Humphreys tripled to right field for the first time in his career to bring Collins home.

An inning later, Jack Kruger continued his early-season tear with an RBI-single plating another critical score.

The Ducks then crawled back into the contest with single scores in the seventh and eighth innings.

All of that rallying quickly went for naught though when the Maroon and White struck for five scores in the home half of the eighth inning.

Gridley got things going with a one-out double in the MSU eighth inning. With two outs, pinch-hitter Jake Mangum hit an RBI-double down the left field line. Kruger was intentionally walked, while Collins was also walked. Brown then hit a 3-1 pitch to right field clearing the bases for his first home run of the season and his first career grand slam.

MSU finished with 13 hits – its ninth game with 10 or more hits this season. Collins and Gridley joined Rooker with multiple hits.

Oregon finished with four hits. Junior left-hander Cole Irvin (2-1) was lifted with two outs in the sixth inning and took the loss.

The three-game series resumes with a 2 p.m. start Saturday. MSU is scheduled to start junior right-hander Austin Sexton (1-1, 4.91 ERA), while Oregon is expected to start sophomore left-hander Matt Krook (0-0, 1.59 ERA).

The series finale is set for 10:30 a.m. Sunday. All games in the series will be available nationally on SEC Network +.