FRISCO, Texas – A two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning was all the breathing room Mississippi State needed as the Bulldogs defeated the California baseball team 8-4 on Sunday afternoon in the finale of the Frisco Classic.
Cal (7-3) scored four runs on four hits, but could not get the clutch at-bat it needed, leaving nine runners on base .
Kade Kretzschmar and
Rodney Green Jr. smashed solo home runs in the second and third inning, respectively. The home run by Kretzschmar was his first in the Blue and Gold and the eighth of his career. Green Jr.'s blast was his fourth of the season and 10
th of his career.
Mississippi State (7-5) scored four runs in the first three innings. Defensive miscues plagued the Golden Bears as two of the four runs were unearned. The Bulldogs added four runs late - a solo home run by Amani Larry broke a 4-4 tie. MSU broke the game open on a two-run home run in the eighth off the bat of Kellum Clark.
In the early going, the Bears' offense responded.
Peyton Schulze knocked a two-out RBI double in the first to go along with the home runs from Kretzschmar and Green Jr. The blast by Green Jr. cleared the right-field Waterfall.
Tucker Bougie started and entered the fourth inning and got the first out before being lifted for
Daniel Colwell (1-1). Bougie threw 3.1 innings, and surrendered four hits, four runs (two earned) with a pair of walks and a strikeout. Colwell pitched well in relief, holding MSU to just one hit - Larry's home run.
Bulldog relief pitcher Nate Dohm (2-1) got the win. He pitched the final five innings for MSU and held Cal to one hit and no runs with a walk and six strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Cal returns to the Bay Area for a midweek matchup against visiting Villanova on Tuesday. The Bears and Wildcats are scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch. Live stats will be available at CalBears.com. The game will be televised on Pac-12 Network with Guy Haberman and Dean Stotz on the call.
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