Mississippi State and Western Kentucky split the sessions in their exhibition today, staged at the Jackson, TN Rockabillys Stadium. MSU took the first 5-2, WKU the second one 8-7. Here are comments from Coach Brian O’ Connor and players Will Craddock & Josiah Overbeek.

Top 5th, Denton Lord in to pitch for Mississippi State, leading Western Kentucky 6-5. He gives up a leadoff single to LF, then gets a 6u-3 double play and a strikeout to face the minimum.

Bottom 5th of seven scheduled, Mississippi State looks to expand a 6-5 lead over Western Kentucky. Christman is first and is hit, then Hovater bunts him into scoring position. Danza is rung up, and Firgens follows. He singles into LCF and drives in the run, 7-5. Strohm follows and walks to put two on and two out. Hanna flies to CF to end the inning, but MSU gets a run for the first time in three innings and takes a two-run lead.

Top 6th, Mississippi State adds a run and leads Western Kentucky 7-5, with Wilson Andersen on to pitch. He gets a great snag at SS by Geertsma and tag at 1b by Overbeek to keep the leadoff batter off base. A called strikeout makes two away, then a walk gives WKU a baserunner. An error puts runners on the corners, and State will huddle on the mound. Andersen stays in and a hot shot past SS scores a run, corners again and a single to CF makes it 7-7. Corners a third time, and a ball gets away to give WKU its first lead since the 2nd inning. Runner in scoring position and still two out, a walk draws Head Coach Brian O’ Connor to the mound, followed by Carson Fair to pitch. He gets a fly ball to CF that finally ends the inning, but the Hilltoppers reclaim the early lead with the Bulldogs having just two innings left to overcome it. WKU 8, MSU 7.

Bottom 6th, Western Kentucky has taken an 8-7 lead over Mississippi State. Geertsma leads off and strikes out swinging, Mabeus strikes out, and Souders flies out to CF. We head to the final inning of the day.

Bottom 3rd, Mississippi State 6, Weatern Kentucky 4. Hovater leads off and strikes out. Danza follows with a ground out to 3b, Firgens walks, and Strohm bats. Firgens steals 2b, but Strohm’s ground ball to 2b ends the inning at 6-4 State.

Top 4th, Jack Bauer in to pitch for Mississippi State and defend the 6-4 lead over Western Kentucky. He walks the first two batters and draws a mound visit. Two on, no out, a third walk loads the bases, and that will end Bauer’s day. Jack Gleason is brought on in relief. He gets a strikeout, then a line drive to RF is caught but drives in a run, no other advance. Another strikeout ends the inning, but WKU has cut the lead to a single run, 6-5.

Bottom 4th, Mississippi State looks to expand a narrow 6-5 lead over Western Kentucky, its runs all,coming in the 2nd inning. Hanna leads off with a walk, followed by Geertsma. He strikes out and Mabeus is up. He walks and puts two on with one out. WKU changes pitchers to face Souders, who strikes out swinging. Overbrook flies out to LF, and the Bulldogs can’t add on, still 6-5.

Bottom 2nd, Western Kentucky 3, Mississippi State 0. Noah Danza leads off and reaches on a SS error. Peyton Firgens bats and walks for two on, no out. Hunter Strohm bats and loads the bases on another SS error. Bases loaded, Michael Hanna singles to RF and drives in a pair to make it 2-3. WKU changes pitchers to face Geertsma with runners on the corners and no outs. He doubles to LF, ties the score 3-3 and puts two more in scoring position. Burke-Lee Mabeus hits a sac fly to RCF, both runners tag, and MSU takes a 4-3 lead. Infield in for Jake Souders, who walks to put runners on the corners with one out. Stolen base puts two in scoring position for Josiah Overbeek. He strikes out but when a pitch bounces away twice, two runs score to make it 6-3. Christman reaches on the third error of the inning but is caught stealing for out three. It’s a good inning for State, which now leads by three.

Top 3rd, Parker Rhodes is in to pitch for Mississippi State, which used six runs in the 2nd to turn a three-run deficit into a three-run lead over Western Kentucky, 0-3 to 6-3. He gets the leadoff batter on a strikeout, then gives up a home run to LF that bounces off the roof beyond the Blue Monster wall. Rhodes comes back for out two on a strikeout, then a single puts one on for WKU. A caught stealing ends the half inning, but the MSU lead is cut to 6-4.

Top 2nd, Allen back on the mound to face Western Kentucky, which leads Mississippi State 2-0. He gives up a double down the LF line that bounces just over Noah Danna’s reach. A walk puts two on and no outs, followed by a bunt that moves two into scoring position. A ground ball scores one, and a strikeout ends the half inning. But, the Hilltoppers tack on another run and now lead the Bulldogs 3-0.