Diamond Dawgs open up Regional with Dominant 11-2 Victory

Mississippi State began the Tallahassee Regional on Friday as the No. 3 seed with a statement 11-2 win over second-seeded Northeastern.

The Diamond Dawgs plated seven runs in the first three innings to take an early 7-2 lead and roll into the winner’s bracket. Bryce Chance had a single-game career high with four hits along with Joe Powell driving in four runs.

Powell and Noah Sullivan crushed a home run each in the game, notching the Bulldogs’ 98th and 99th homers of the season, breaking the team’s all-time record for home runs in a season last set by State’s 1998 squad.

Northeastern was riding a nation-long 27-game winning streak entering the regional contest before the Bulldogs snapped it. They defeated Bethune-Cookman 4-3 in an elimination game earlier today to stay alive.

Diamond Dawg pitchers Ben Davis and Ryan McPherson were awesome on the mound, with Davis drawing his first start in over two months and earning the win in five innings, striking out three batters and only earning one run. Davis improved to 4-2 for the season with his performance.

After McPherson stepped up to the mound in place of Davis, he earned his third save of the season by shutting the Huskies down in the final four frames, not allowing a hit or a run as well as striking out three.

The Diamond Dawgs have advanced to the winner’s bracket game where they are currently facing the host and ninth overall seeded Florida State. You can follow the game now on ESPN2/ESPN+.

Author administrator Kellen Walker