STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs utilized a mid-game offensive explosion and a dominant starting pitching performance to defeat the Cincinnati Bearcats 10-5 on Saturday night at Dudy Noble Field. With the victory, the Bulldogs secured a pivotal win in the winner’s bracket of the 2026 NCAA Starkville Regional.
Mississippi State struck first in the bottom of the first inning when third baseman Ace Reese launched a solo home run to center field. Cincinnati quickly answered in the top of the second inning, tying the game 1-1 on an RBI double down the third-base line by third baseman Christian Mitchelle that scored designated hitter Enzo Infelise.
The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Mississippi State’s offense erupted. Center fielder Bryce Chance delivered a clutch RBI single to shortstop, scoring right fielder Jacob Parker to break the tie. This go-ahead single officially served as the game-winning hit. Second baseman Gehrig Frei immediately followed with a two-run single up the middle, extending the Bulldogs’ lead to 4-1.
Mississippi State blew the game open in the sixth inning. First baseman Reed Stallman laced an RBI double to left field, and left fielder Vytas Valincius subsequently scored on a wild pitch. Catcher Kevin Milewski capped the four-run frame with a two-run home run to right field, making it 8-1. Stallman added a two-run double to right field in the seventh inning to push the advantage to 10-1.
Cincinnati fought back late, scoring two runs in the eighth on an RBI single by right fielder Ryan Tyranski and a bases-loaded RBI walk by catcher Jack Natili. The Bearcats added two final runs in the ninth via an RBI single from shortstop Charlie Niehaus and an RBI groundout by Tyranski, bringing the final score to 10-5.
Reed Stallman paced the Bulldogs at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Bryce Chance also enjoyed a multi-hit night, finishing 3-for-5 with an RBI. For Cincinnati, Cal Sefcik went 2-for-4, while Mitchelle and Tyranski provided the heavy run production.
On the mound, Mississippi State starting pitcher Tomas Valincius (11-2) was masterful. He earned the win after tossing 7.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out 10 batters and walking just two. Cincinnati reliever Adam Buczkowski (4-2) was saddled with the loss after surrendering three earned runs over 1.1 innings. No save was recorded in the contest.
The game was played under partly cloudy skies with temperatures at 81 degrees. First pitch was at 8:07 p.m., and the marathon matchup lasted 3 hours and 33 minutes before an electric crowd of 11,588 fans.
Following the result, Mississippi State improves to 42-17 overall and advances to the regional championship game Sunday evening at 7 PM CT. Cincinnati falls to 38-21 overall and faces Louisiana in the elimination game Sunday afternoon at 2 PM CT for the right to take on Mississippi State Sunday night in the championship game.
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