Ninth-Inning Rally Sparks No. 6 State To Series-Opening Win

Friday, March 27

Oxford, Miss.

6:30 p.m.

Mississippi State

22-4, 0

Ole Miss

19-8, 0

Mississippi State

Ole Miss

Photo by: Mike Mattina/MSU Athletics

Ninth-Inning Rally Sparks No. 6 State To Series-Opening Win

March 27, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

OXFORD - No. 6 Mississippi State rallied late and then held firm on the mound Friday night, knocking off No. 18 Ole Miss 5-4 in a back-and-forth SEC showdown at Swayze Field.

The Diamond Dawgs broke a scoreless tie with a three-run sixth inning, weathered a Rebels surge in the seventh, and answered with two runs in the ninth to secure the road victory.

Mississippi State (22-4, 5-2 SEC) managed eight hits but delivered in key moments, while its pitching staff combined to limit Ole Miss to just four hits despite allowing a pair of home runs.

Ole Miss (19-8, 3-4) struck first in the fourth inning on a solo home run to right-center, taking a 1-0 lead before MSU's offense came alive two frames later.

The Bulldogs' sixth-inning rally began with a single and a walk before Ace Reese tied the game with an RBI single. Noah Sullivan followed with an RBI double down the left-field line, and Ryder Woodson added an infield RBI single to give State a 3-1 advantage.

The Rebels responded in the seventh, capitalizing on a pair of walks before launching a three-run homer down the left-field line to reclaim a 4-3 lead.

Mississippi State didn't flinch.

In the ninth, the Diamond Dawgs immediately applied pressure as Woodson singled and Bryce Chance doubled to put runners at second and third. Jacob Parker drove in the tying run with a groundout, and pinch hitter Chone James delivered the decisive blow with an RBI triple to right, putting MSU ahead 5-4.

The Bulldogs threatened for more, but Ole Miss cut down a runner at the plate on a fielder's choice to keep the deficit at one. Still, the damage was done.

On the mound, State leaned on its bullpen to close things out. Tyler Pitzer dominated over the final two innings, striking out four and allowing no hits to earn the win.

Charlie Foster set the tone early for MSU, allowing just one run on two hits across 4 2/3 innings.

Offensively, Woodson and Chance each collected two hits to lead the Bulldogs, while Reese, Sullivan and James each drove in a run.

With the win, Mississippi State continued its strong start in SEC play, using timely hitting and late-game execution to outlast its in-state rival in a tightly contested opener.

Game 2 will see sophomore left-hander Tomas Valincius (5-0, 1.04 ERA) take the mound for the Diamond Dawgs while Ole Miss counters with junior righty Hudson Calhoun (1-1, 3.60 ERA). First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.

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