Cumbest, Tanner each hit two-run home runs in the victory
CHARLESTON, S.C. – A five-run top of the fifth inning, highlighted by a pair of two-run home runs, helped the No. 4 Mississippi State baseball program to a 10-2 victory at The Citadel on Wednesday (May 5) at Joseph R. Riley, Jr. Park.
A 13-hit effort allowed Mississippi State (33-10) to take the midweek tilt over The Citadel (11-29) and improve to 11-0 in midweek contests this season. Tanner Allen kept his six-game hitting streak alive with a single and one run scored. Luke Hancock maintained his career-long eight game hitting streak with a single, walk, hit-by-pitch and two runs scores.
Rowdey Jordan‘sreached base streak moved to 28 games with a walk and a double to go along with one RBI. Brad Cumbest drove in a career-high four runs with a two-run home run and a two-RBI single. Cumbest homered for the second straight game and now has four on the season.
Logan Tanner hit his team-leading ninth home run of the season as a part of the five-run fifth inning and finished the night 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Cade Smith (2-0) picked up his second career victory with three scoreless innings in the start. The right-hander struck out three and allowed just one hit. He faced just nine batters as his defense spun one double play behind him.
For the 37th time in 43 games, Mississippi State’s pitching staff reached double-digits in strikeouts. Along with Smith’s three, Eric Cerantola and Cam Tullar each struck out three batters, and Parker Stinnett and KC Hunt both punched out two hitters apiece to run the team total to 13. Mississippi State also walked just one batter in the game.
For The Citadel, Ryan McCarthy tripled and scored one run, while Noah Mitchell hit a solo home run. Five different Bulldog hitters collected one hit in the game. Cameron Reeves (2-8) took the loss with four runs – three earned – allowed on four hits. He walked three and struck out three in the start.
Quotable
Head coach Chris Lemonis
On his thoughts on the victory
CL: I liked the way we played tonight. We got a good start, our [relievers] pitched well, we played good defense and we got some big hits with two outs and with runners in scoring position … I am excited because we have a big weekend ahead of us. The home runs gave us a little separation tonight and the ballpark played a little more offensive, so that was huge for us.
Scoring Recap
Top First
Tanner Allen singled through the right side and moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Luke Hancock reached on an error to put runners on the corners, before a two-out single from Scotty Dubrule plated the first run of the game.
Mississippi State 1, The Citadel 0
Top Second
A leadoff walk to Kellum Clark came around to score on a Rowdey Jordan sacrifice fly.
Mississippi State 2, The Citadel 0
Top Third
Back-to-back walks to Hancock and Logan Tanner were followed by a ground out, before Brad Cumbest drove in a pair of runs with a base hit.
Mississippi State 4, The Citadel 0
Bottom Fourth
A one-out triple by Ryan McCarthy came in to score on a wild pitch.
Mississippi State 4, The Citadel 1
Top Fifth
A pair of two runs home runs did the damage for Mississippi State, as Tanner hit his ninth home run of the season to start the scoring and Cumbest followed two batters later with his fourth of the year. Clark doubled, before scoring on Lane Forsythe’s RBI single up the middle later in the inning.
Mississippi State 9, The Citadel 1
Bottom Fifth
Noah Mitchell hit a one-out solo home run.
Mississippi State 9, The Citadel 2
Top Ninth
Davis Meche led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a Forsythe single and scored on Drew McGowan’s sacrifice fly.
Mississippi State 9, The Citadel 2
Up Next
Mississippi State will continue its four-game road swing through the Palmetto State with a three-game series at No. 12 South Carolina this weekend. The series kicks off at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, May 7 and will conclude with a nationally televised contest at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 9 on the SEC Network.