State Takes Sunday Game To Sweep Queens

Sunday, March 9

Starkville

1 p.m.

Mississippi State

11-4

Queens

2-13

Queens

Mississippi State

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

State Takes Sunday Game To Sweep Queens

March 09, 2025 | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Kinsley Hunter, Student Assistant

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State topped Queens 9-3 in the final game Sunday afternoon to sweep its third-straight series at home.

Aaron Downs led the Diamond Dawgs (11-4) at the plate with his second-straight two-homer game and finished the day 2-for-3. Bryce Chance and Ross Highfill both went 2-for-4 with two singles apiece with Chance driving in a pair and Highfill collecting one RBI. Sawyer Reeves and Noah Sullivan each doubled and drove in a run as MSU finished with 14 hits.

Karson Ligon (2-1) started and logged five shutout innings on the mound only surrendering two hits while striking out a career-high nine and walking two.

The Bulldog pitching staff finished with 14 total strikeouts and limited Queens (2-13) to six total hits.

On Deck:

State travels to Biloxi on Tuesday and Wednesday for the Hancock Whitney Classic at Keesler Federal Park. The Diamond Dawgs take on Old Dominion on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Nicholls on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Both games on the coast will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Game Notes:

Mississippi State has hit two or more home runs in seven-consecutive games. The Bulldogs have hit 29 total on the year.
Downs blasted four homers in the final two games against Queens. He now leads the team with seven round-trippers this spring.
Ligon recorded a new career-high strikeout total with nine punch outs on Sunday.
Freshman Cade O'Leary made his collegiate debut on the mound, striking out the side in the top of the ninth.
The Diamond Dawgs have swept all three series they have hosted so far this season.

Scoring Summary:

Bottom 1st

Sullivan doubled to score Ace Reese from first.

MSU 1, QU 0

Bottom 2nd

Downs hit a solo home run to right field.

Reeves singled to score Nolan Stevens.

Reeves and Gatlin Sanders scored on a single by Chance.

MSU 5, QU 0

Bottom 3rd

Downs hit a home run.

MSU 6, QU 0

Bottom 5th

Downs scored on a single by Highfill.

MSU 7, QU 0

Bottom 6th

Reeves scored on a ground out.

MSU 8, QU 0

Top 7th

Caleb Stewart scored on a wild pitch.

MSU 8, QU 1

Bottom 8th

Lukas Buckner scored on a single by Gehrig Frei.

MSU 9, QU 1

Top 9th

Stewart scored on a wild pitch.

Tyler Peters singled down the right-field line to score Jacob Grimes.

MSU 9, QU 3

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