Parker Stinnett Punches Back
March 01, 2022 | Baseball, Joel Coleman
Right-hander battles through trouble in sign these Bulldogs are learning how to fight.
STARKVILLE – Base hit. Base hit. That's how Parker Stinnett's relief appearance began for Mississippi State on Tuesday night.
It was the sixth inning, and the Bulldogs were in a 1-1 game against Grambling State. Stinnett took over for teammate Jack Walker looking to hold down the Tigers, but immediately, a rally was brewing.
Grambling runners were at first and second. Nobody was out. Stinnett had a choice: Crumble or fight back.
"The game's not always going to be nice to you," Stinnett said later. "You've kinda got to learn that when the game is punching you in the mouth, you've always got to be your best."
So, Stinnett threw a counterpunch.
After a sacrifice bunt put two Tigers in scoring position (but gave Stinnett the first out of the frame), he notched back-to-back strikeouts to close out the inning. The threat was over and from there, Stinnett was on his way to being a midweek Bulldog hero.
"We've talked a lot lately about facing adversity and being tough enough to fight through it," MSU head coach Chris Lemonis said. "[Stinnett has] had some tough luck in his first two appearances [this season] and he was one of our better guys coming out of spring training. It's funny. [He comes in on Tuesday night] and it's exactly what we've been preaching. He pitched out of it and then he pitched great the rest of the game. He won our game shirt [handed out to a top player after each game]. Just the toughness piece, I thought that was the difference in the ballgame."
The Bulldogs claimed a 2-1 win. Stinnett was credited with the victory. He ended the evening with eight strikeouts over four scoreless innings. He didn't allow a hit after the first two batters he saw, and he retired the final eight hitters he faced – six of which on strikeouts.
As Stinnett started to roll, outfielder Brad Cumbest came through with the decisive blow – a solo home run into the Left Field Lounge in the home half of the seventh inning.
Cumbest's shot broke a tie created after Grambling scored on a wild pitch in the second inning ahead of the Bulldogs evening things up in the fifth. MSU scored its fifth-inning run when Aaron Downs and Slate Alford came through with two straight singles putting Dawgs on the corners. Lane Forsythe then drove in Downs on a sacrifice fly. From there, Stinnett kept the Tigers at bay and Cumbest took care of the rest.
It was another trial conquered. It was another hurdle cleared. It was another lesson seemingly learned.
What was the lesson, you might ask? The same one these Bulldogs have been trying to master after hearing their head coach mention the themes several times in this young season. Battle. Be tough. Compete.
Perhaps the Dawgs haven't perfected those things just yet, but they feel like they're getting there.
"I think we're competing a lot better," Cumbest said. "I think this past weekend, we played with a lot of energy. We couldn't get anything started [on Tuesday] so we didn't have that much energy, but as the game went on, we pushed forward and made it happen."
Perhaps no one this season has exemplified the art of pushing forward and making it happen as well as Stinnett on Tuesday. After giving up those hits to the first two batters he saw, each subsequent pitch from that point on could've served as a reminder to everyone in Maroon and White.
Don't back down. Don't give in. When the game hits you, hit back.
"I know that we're having some offensive struggles and even some pitching struggles at this point, but that's just another way the game is going to punch you in the mouth," Stinnett said. "You've just always got to come back and be your best and work through it."
