COLUMBIA, S.C. — In a tightly contested, back-and-forth Southeastern Conference battle, the Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 4-3 in 11 innings on April 19, 2026, at Founders Park. After South Carolina erased a late deficit to force extra innings, Mississippi State found a way to manufacture the decisive run in the 11th frame to secure the road victory.
State opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. Second baseman Gehrig Frei reached on a fielding error, and shortly after, first baseman Blake Bevis launched a two-run home run to left field, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage.
The Bulldogs extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the sixth inning. Frei and right fielder Vytas Valincius hit back-to-back singles. Bevis then reached on a fielder’s choice, collecting an RBI as Frei crossed the plate. South Carolina answered in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit to 3-1. First baseman Will Craddock singled, advanced to second on a groundout by catcher Talmadge LeCroy, and scored when designated hitter Jake Randolph stroked an RBI single through the right side.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, South Carolina rallied to tie the game at 3-3. Second baseman Patrick Evans singled and center fielder Tyler Bak was hit by a pitch. After Craddock reached on a fielder’s choice, LeCroy delivered an RBI single to left field to score Bak. A wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position, allowing Randolph to tie the game with an RBI groundout to second base that brought Craddock home.
In the top of the 11th inning, Mississippi State constructed the game-winning rally. Vytas Valincius sparked the offense with a single to right center. Center fielder Aidan Teel singled up the middle to advance Valincius to third, and shortstop Ryder Woodson reached on a fielding error during a sacrifice bunt attempt. With the bases loaded, catcher Kevin Milewski delivered the game-winning play with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring pinch runner Gatlin Sanders to make it 4-3.
For Mississippi State, Blake Bevis provided the heavy lifting early, finishing 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, three total RBIs, and a run scored. Vytas Valincius had a highly productive afternoon at the plate, going 3-for-5. Left fielder Bryce Chance (2-for-6) and Gehrig Frei (2-for-4, two runs scored) also recorded multi-hit games. Kevin Milewski finished 0-for-0 officially but provided the game-winning sacrifice fly and RBI in the 11th inning.
South Carolina’s offense was paced by Will Craddock, who went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Talmadge LeCroy finished 2-for-4 with a walk and a crucial eighth-inning RBI, while Dawson Harman also contributed a 2-for-5 performance. Jake Randolph went 1-for-4 but drove in two of the Gamecocks’ three runs.
Mississippi State starting pitcher Charlie Foster delivered a quality start, tossing 7.0 innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits while striking out eight batters and walking only one. Reliever Ben Davis pitched 1.1 innings out of the bullpen, yielding two hits and striking out one. Reliever Maddox Webb earned the victory with a dominant finish, pitching the final 2.2 hitless and scoreless innings, walking one and striking out three.
South Carolina starter Alex Valentin went 5.0 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits with four strikeouts. A;ex Philpott turned in a strong relief effort, tossing 4.0 innings and allowing just one unearned run on one hit. Relievers Connor Chicoli and Logan Prisco made brief appearances before Zach Russell pitched the final 1.2 innings. Russell surrendered the game-winning unearned run in the 11th inning to take the loss.
- Winning Pitcher: Maddox Webb (1-1)
- Losing Pitcher: Zach Russell (3-1)
- Save: None
The extra-inning contest was played under partly cloudy skies with a temperature of 66 degrees. First pitch was delivered at 1:33 p.m., and the marathon game lasted exactly 3 hours and 33 minutes. The announced attendance at Founders Park was 6,459. The officiating crew consisted of John Brammer at home plate, Brandon Folks at first base, Javerro January at second base, and Matthew Wilbanks at third base.
Following the conclusion of the game, the Bulldogs improve their to 30-10, with a 10-8 mark in SEC play. The Gamecocks fall to a 19-22 overall record and a 5-13 record in the SEC.
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