Mississippi State
21-13, 4-9
Alabama
28-7, 7-6
Diamond Dawgs Earn Run-Rule Win Over No. 12 Crimson Tide
April 11, 2025 | Baseball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A seven-run top of the fifth spearheaded a 13-3 run-rule victory for Mississippi State to start its series at No. 12 Alabama on Friday night.
The Bulldogs batted around and collected five doubles during their breakout fifth frame. Sawyer Reeves, Bryce Chance and Joe Powell all had two-run two-baggers in the inning while Ace Reese added an RBI single.
Reeves finished with four hits, including a homer and four RBIs. He was one of six Bulldogs with at least two knocks. Gehrig Frei, Reese, Noah Sullivan, Hunter Hines and Powell all joined Reeves with two or more hits.
One of Hines' hits was his 62nd career home run. Hines' two-run shot in the first inning helped State build an early 3-0 lead and put him into second place by himself on the MSU all-time career long ball list.
While Hines and company handled things offensively, Pico Kohn and Stone Simmons held the Crimson Tide at bay from the mound. Kohn started and both Bulldog hurlers handled four innings each. Kohn departed after MSU's seven-run top of the fifth, and Simmons earned the win by tossing four shutout frames to lock down the run-rule victory after the eighth.
The win improved MSU to 21-13 overall and 4-9 in conference play while the Crimson Tide fell to 28-7 and 7-6 in the league.
On Deck: Game 2 of the series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network+. Junior right-hander Evan Siary (0-0, 3.79 ERA) will get the start for the Bulldogs while Alabama counters with redshirt sophomore righty Riley Quick (4-1, 3.42 ERA).
Notes:
· Hines hit his 62nd-career home run passing Will Clark (1983-85) for the second-most in Mississippi State history.
· Reeves recorded his first home run as a Diamond Dawg during the third inning.
· The 13 runs are the most the Diamond Dawgs have scored in SEC play this season and the most since beating Alabama 13-3 in Game 1 of last year's series.
· State stroked six doubles on the night, coming just one shy of seven doubles for the first time since recording seven against UAB on April 20, 2021.
Scoring Summary:
Top 1st
Reese drove in Reeves on an RBI double to right-center.
Hines hit a two-run homer to right.
MSU 3, Alabama 0
Top 3rd
Reeves hit a solo homer to left.
MSU 4, Alabama 0
Bottom 3rd
Kade Snell singled to right scoring Justin Lebron
MSU 4, Alabama 1
Bottom 4th
Lebron hit a two-run homer to right.
MSU 4, Alabama 3
Top 5th
Reeves hit a two-run double to left scoring Powell and Frei.
Reese singled up the middle to score Reeves.
Chance hit a two-run double down the left field line scoring Reese and Sullivan.
Powell hit a two-run double to center scoring Chance and Gatlin Sanders.
MSU 11, Alabama 3
Top 7th
Reeves singled and scored Reed Stallman.
MSU 12, Alabama 3
Top 8th
Chance hit a sacrifice fly to right scoring Sullivan.
MSU 13, Alabama 3
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Simmons, Stone (3-1)
L: Zane Adams (4-2)
Batting:
2B: Frei, Gehrig 1 ; Reeves, Sawyer 1 ; Reese, Ace 1 ; Sullivan, Noah 1 ; Chance, Bryce 1 ; Powell, Joe 1
HR: Reeves, Sawyer 1 ; Hines, Hunter 1
RBI: Reeves, Sawyer 4 ; Reese, Ace 2 ; Hines, Hunter 2 ; Chance, Bryce 3 ; Powell, Joe 2
SF: Chance, Bryce 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Frei, Gehrig 1 ; Reeves, Sawyer 3 ; Reese, Ace 2 ; Sullivan, Noah 2 ; Hines, Hunter 1 ; Chance, Bryce 1 ; Sanders, Gatlin 1 ; Stallman, Reed 1 ; Powell, Joe 1
CS: Frei, Gehrig 1
HBP: Stallman, Reed 1
Batting:
2B: Justin Lebron 2
3B: Richie Bonomolo Jr. 1
HR: Justin Lebron 1
RBI: Justin Lebron 2 ; Kade Snell 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Richie Bonomolo Jr. 1 ; Justin Lebron 2
SB: Justin Lebron 1
