February 26, 2022

By Anna Claire Thomas

Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE – Following a stellar pitching performance by Preston Johnson and a trio of home runs, Mississippi State (3-3) evened the series against Northern Kentucky (1-4) with a 10-1 victory over the Norse on Saturday at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville.

Following the solo homer by NKU’s Jayden Wakeham (Victoria, B.C.) in the second, Johnson and MSU reliever Pico Kohn combined to hold the Norse hitless from that point until the eighth, allowing State’s offense to put runs on the board.

Johnson (1-0) earned the win after allowing just one run on two hits and striking out five in 6 1/3 innings of work. Kohn came on in relief in the seventh and held NKU scoreless on two hits in the final 2 2/3 innings.

NKU starter Ben Gerl (0-2) was charged with the loss after allowing four runs – all earned – on five hits with six walks and six strikeouts in six innings.

Offensively, the Dawgs cranked out nine hits on the day with six of the base knocks coming from MSU’s two-, three- and four-hole hitters. Kamren James, Luke Hancock, Logan Tanner and Brad Cumbest each had two hits apiece in the win, while Brayland Skinner came on as defensive replacement seventh and then singled in the eighth.

SCORING SUMMARY

Top Second

NKU took a 1-0 lead in the second on a solo home run by catcher Jayden Wakeham (Victoria, B.C.).

Mississippi State 0, Northern Kentucky 1

Bottom Third

MSU’s offense answered the call in the third when Logan Tanner drove in a run on an RBI single before Brad Cumbest gave the Dawgs a 4-1 lead with a three-run home run to left.

Mississippi State 4, Northern Kentucky 1

Bottom Seventh

State plated four more runs in the seventh thanks to a two-run homer by Tanner, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Tanner Leggett.

Mississippi State 8, Northern Kentucky 1

Bottom Eighth

Kamren James capped off the scoring in the eighth with a two-run home run to left field that scored Brayland Skinner, who reached earlier in the frame on an infield single.

Mississippi State 10, Northern Kentucky 1