No. 18 MSU Run-Rules Doubleheader To Open Season
February 14, 2025 | Baseball
The Diamond Dawgs earned their first series win of the season with a 17-0 victory in game one and a 13-1 triumph in game two.
Ace Reese, Bryce Chance and Hunter Hines were hot at the plate. Reese and Chance each finished the first game 2-for-3 with an RBI apiece. Hines picked up where he left off with four RBIs and his first home run of the season. Aaron Downs made his power known knocking out his first career home run.
Pico Kohn grabbed the start on the mound. Kohn went five innings and punched out a career-high 11 on the way to his first win of the season and fourth of his career. Charlie Foster and Jacob Pruitt made their Diamond Dawg debut in relief action. Foster and Pruitt earned an inning each of work and punched out a total of three.
Chance kept the heat turned up with three hits and an RBI in four at bats. Downs finished 2-for-3 in the box with four RBIs.
Karson Ligon drew the start on the mound in the second game. Ligon punched out eight of the Jaspers' lineup to tie his career-high in his four innings of work. Ben Davis and Chase Hungate debuted in The Dude with a combined three innings of relief work. Davis punched out four and Hungate added one.
Mississippi State is back in action Sunday at 1 p.m. CT for the series finale. The game will be broadcasted on SEC Network+.
Games Notes
- Lemonis improved his opening day record to 7-1
- Pico Kohn struck out a career-high 11
- Most runs in a season opener in the Lemonis era (17)-game one
- Karson Ligon tied his career-high strikeouts with eight
- Lemonis won his 350th game
Bottom 1
Sawyer Reeves, Ross Highfill and Ace Reese scored off a double to right center field by Noah Sullivan. Nolan Stevens plated Sullivan with a single to right field.
MSU 4, Manhattan 0
Bottom 2
Reese and Highfill scored on a single by Hunter Hines. Bryce Chance scored Sullivan with a single to left field. Hines scored on a bases loaded walk.
MSU 8, Manhattan 0
Bottom 3
Reese hit a single home run. Hines hit a two-run home run to right field to plate Sullivan. Chance scored on a wild pitch. Highfill plated Stevens and Dylan Cupp with a single to left field.
MSU 14, Manhattan 0
Bottom 4
Aaron Downs hit a three-run home run to plate Hines and Michael O'Brien.
MSU 17, Manhattan 0
Top 7
Aida Taclas and Trevor Hansen scored on a double by Ty Galletti. Colin Basehore scored on a single by Dylan Mayer.
MSU 17, Manhattan 3
Scoring Summary-GAME TWO
Top 2
Trevor Hansen scored on a single by Andreaus Lewis.
MSU 0, Manhattan 1
Bottom 2
Hines scored on a sacrifice fly by Downs. Joe Powell plated Chance from third on a ground out.
MSU 2, Manhattan 1
Bottom 3
Highfill scored on a single by Chance. Downs singled in left center field to plate Chance and Sullivan.
MSU 5, Manhattan 1
Bottom 5
Sullivan scored on a bases loaded walk.
MSU 6, Manhattan 1
Bottom 6
Highfill scored off an error by Manhattan's shortstop. Sullivan scored on a single by Downs. Nolan Stevens plated Chance and Sullivan with a double down the third base line.
MSU 10, Manhattan 1
Bottom 7
Reed Stallman hit a three-run home run to plate Highfill and Gehrig Frei.
MSU 13, Manhattan 1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kohn, Pico (1-0)
L: Romero, Braedon (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Galletti, Tyler 1
RBI: Galletti, Tyler 2 ; Mayer, Dylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Taclas, Aidan 1 ; Hansen, Trevor 1 ; Basehore, Colin 1
HBP: Taclas, Aidan 1

Batting:
2B: Sullivan, Noah 1 ; Chance, Bryce 1 ; O'Brien, Michael 1
HR: Reese, Ace 1 ; Hines, Hunter 1 ; Downs, Aaron 1
RBI: Highfill, Ross 2 ; Reese, Ace 1 ; Sullivan, Noah 3 ; Hines, Hunter 4 ; Chance, Bryce 1 ; Stevens, Nolan 1 ; Downs, Aaron 3 ; Cupp, Dylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Reeves, Sawyer 1 ; Highfill, Ross 2 ; Reese, Ace 3 ; Sullivan, Noah 3 ; Hines, Hunter 3 ; Chance, Bryce 1 ; O'Brien, Michael 1 ; Stevens, Nolan 1 ; Downs, Aaron 1 ; Cupp, Dylan 1
SB: Chance, Bryce 1 ; Stevens, Nolan 1
HBP: Highfill, Ross 1 ; Stevens, Nolan 1 ; Pulliam, Ethan 1 ; Cupp, Dylan 1