Columbia News

Mississippi State defeated the University of Missouri baseball team 25-7 in the opening game of their series Thursday at Taylor Stadium. The Bulldogs hit eight home runs during the contest, including two from Hunter Hines in a 10-run ninth inning. With these home runs, Hines tied Rafael Palmeiro’s school record for career homers at Mississippi State with his 66th and 67th.

Reed Stallman and Ace Reese also contributed two home runs each for Mississippi State. Stallman came off the bench to homer in both of his first two at-bats, while Reese finished with three hits and four RBIs.

Mississippi State (32-20, 13-15 SEC) took advantage of a Missouri defensive error in the first inning to take an early lead. By the fourth inning, after additional home runs from Stallman, Joe Powell, and Reese, the Bulldogs were ahead 8-0.

A three-run homer by Reese in the sixth extended Mississippi State’s lead to 12-0 before Missouri responded with a four-run rally. Keegan Knutson drove in Missouri's first run with a single through the left side, followed by Jackson Lovich’s three-run homer—his twelfth this season—to cut the deficit to 12-4.

Mateo Serna added another three-run home run for Missouri in the seventh inning to bring them within five runs. However, Mississippi State closed out strong by scoring thirteen unanswered runs over the final two innings. In addition to back-to-back homers from Noah Sullivan and Hines in the ninth, Steven Spilatta hit a pinch-hit triple before Hines capped off MSU's night with his record-tying home run.

Nate Williams pitched the last three innings for Mississippi State and earned his first save of the season. Starter Pico Kohn threw over four shutout innings with seven strikeouts while allowing just two hits.

Missouri used eight pitchers who combined for fourteen strikeouts—a mark that matches their season high set earlier against Ole Miss on March 23. Brady Kehlenbrink started for Missouri and struck out four batters over more than five innings; Kaden Jacobi also fanned four hitters during that stretch.

The loss ended Missouri’s three-game winning streak. The Tigers scored at least three runs in consecutive innings for only their fifth time this year. Knutson has now driven in a run during each of his last three games—a personal best since joining Division I—and Lovich recorded at least three RBIs for his third time in four games and ninth overall this season.

Lovich extended his hitting streak to six games; Knutson and Pierre Seals have reached base safely via hits in five straight contests each. Lovich has now hit twenty-three career home runs as a Tiger and has gone deep four times over Mizzou’s last five games. Isaiah Frost reached base safely four times—two hits and two walks—for his first such collegiate performance.

Mizzou struck out ten or more batters as a staff for their eighteenth game this season—the third consecutive contest matching their season high—and now trails Mississippi State 14-7 all-time.

The series continues Friday evening at Taylor Stadium before concluding Saturday afternoon.