STARKVILLE, Miss. — The #4 Mississippi State Bulldogs relied on a combined two-hit pitching shutout and a steady offensive presence to defeat the Grambling State Tigers 12-0 in a seven-inning contest on March 31, 2026, at Dudy Noble Field. It was the ninth straight win for the Bulldogs, who remained undefeated at home in 2026.
Mississippi State took control early in the bottom of the first inning. Third baseman Ace Reese scored the game’s first run on a balk by Grambling State’s starting pitcher. Shortly after, shortstop Ryder Woodson delivered a two-run double to left field, bringing home center fielder Jacob Parker and designated hitter Noah Sullivan to make it 3-0.
In the bottom of the second, catcher Kevin Milewski scored on a throwing error during a sacrifice bunt by center fielder Aidan Teel. Ace Reese then hit an RBI groundout to first base, allowing left fielder Bryce Chance to score an unearned run for a 5-0 lead.
The Bulldogs added another run in the third inning when second baseman Gehrig Frei hit an RBI double down the right-field line to score Ryder Woodson.
Mississippi State’s offense struck for three more runs in the fourth inning. Jacob Parker drew a bases-loaded walk to score Aidan Teel. Gehrig Frei then laced a two-run single through the right side, bringing home Noah Sullivan and Ace Reese to extend the lead to 9-0.
In the fifth inning, catcher Andrew Raymond launched a solo home run to center field. Later in the frame, designated hitter Peter Mershon drew a bases-loaded walk to score right fielder Vytas Valincius with an unearned run.
The game’s final run came in the bottom of the sixth when left fielder James Nunnallee hit an RBI single to center field, scoring catcher Jackson Owen.
Leading Hitters Because the first and decisive run scored on a balk, there was no official game-winning hit recorded. However, Mississippi State’s offense was heavily anchored by Ryder Woodson, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Gehrig Frei also had a highly productive outing, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. James Nunnallee was a perfect 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Andrew Raymond (1-for-1) provided the game’s only home run.
For Grambling State, center fielder Trey Bridges and first baseman James Woody recorded the team’s only two hits, both finishing 1-for-2 on the evening.
Pitching Summary Mississippi State utilized six pitchers to combine for the two-hit shutout, striking out 10 batters. Starter Billingsley pitched 2.0 scoreless and hitless innings, striking out two. Reliever Bauer earned the win, tossing 1.1 perfect innings with three strikeouts. Gleason, Sweeney, Fowler, and Rhodes covered the final 3.2 innings from the bullpen, allowing just two hits while preserving the shutout.
Grambling State starter Trevor Esparza took the loss after allowing three earned runs on two hits and two walks over 1.0 inning. The Tigers rotated through six relief pitchers—Rafael Capistran, Tenton Shaw, Payton Allen, Jacobiw Smith, Mohamed Harati, and Kejuan Burnett—who combined to surrender nine runs (seven earned) over the final 5.0 innings.
- Winning Pitcher: Jack Bauer (2-0)
- Losing Pitcher: Trevor Esparza (1-2)
- Save: None (0 saves)
The game was played under partly cloudy skies with a temperature of 76 degrees and an 8 mph south wind. The contest lasted 2 hours and 35 minutes, in front of a Tuesday night crowd of 9,473 fans at Dudy Noble Field.
With the victory, Mississippi State improves to a 25-4 overall record (and remains 7-2 in SEC play). Grambling State drops to a 9-18 overall record.
This was created with AI assistance, but edited for accuracy by the webmaster.