Full Game Recap: Mississippi State Baseball Versus Air Force

It is Opening Day in Starkville, and the Bulldogs will take on the Falcons.

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated Air Force 8-4 on Opening Day in Starkville. The Bulldogs were led on offense by Dakota Jordan and Bryce Chance, who each had home runs.

MSU starter Nate Dohm did not have his best stuff but gave his team a solid four innings, only allowing one earned run. The Bulldog bullpen also pitched well tonight, with the trio of Tyler Davis, Cam Schuelke, and Evan Siary having zero walks.

A full play-by-play is below.

Mississippi State Batting Order

1. 2B Amani Larry

2. RF Dakota Jordan

3. 1B Hunter Hines

4. LF Bryce Chance

5 3B Logan Kohler

6. CF Connor Hujsak

7. DH Aaron Downs

8. C Johnny Long

9. SS Dylan Cupp 

SP Nate Dohm

Air Force Batting Order

1. 1B Sam Kulasingam

2. CF Chase Spencer

3. 3B Jay Thomason

4. DH Jack Bello

5. RF Jake Greiving 

6. SS Aerik Joe

7. LF Chris Stallings

8. Walker Zapp

9. T.J. Oster

SP Seungmin Shim

Top of the 1st

The first pitch of the season is hit right back up the middle for a single. 

Nice sliding play by Kohler to get the first out of the season. Runner advanced to second. 

A wild pitch advances the runner to third with one out. 

 A one-out walk by Dohm. Runners on the corner now. 

 A single through the left side and Air Force leads 1-0. Runners on first and second and still one out. 

Dohm gets a strikeout with a high fastball. 

 Nice diving play by Cupp saves a run, but the bases are now loaded for the Falcons. 

Hines catches an infield fly to end the inning. Good job by Dohm to avoid further damage, but still a rocky start for the righty giving up three hits in his first inning of the season. 1-0 Air Force. 

Bottom of the 1st

Larry will reach on a throwing error by the shortstop. 

Jordan reaches on a swinging bunt. Runners on first and second with no outs. 

Hines strikes out looking on three pitches. 

Chance gets the first RBI of the season with a single up the middle. Runners at the corners with one out. 

Kohler hits a line drive over the head of the second baseman to give the Bulldogs the lead. 2-1 MSU leads with runners at first and second. 

Hujsak flies out to the left and neither runner advances. 

Downs strikes out looking to end the inning. The Bulldogs get three hits and score two runs. Nice response from the Bulldog offense. 

Top of the 2nd

Another single to lead off the inning for Air Force. 

Dohm answers with a strikeout looking. One out and a runner on first. 

Two down now after a lazy flyball to center. 

The Bulldogs catch the Air Force base runner leaning, and they tag him out after a brief rundown. Nice recovery by Dohm after a lead-off single. 

Bottom of the 2nd

Long strikes out on three pitches. MSU leads 2-1. 

Cupp grounds out to the shortstop for the second out. 

Larry grounds it to third on the first pitch and that will end the inning. Not a great half-inning for the Bulldogs. 

Top of the 3rd

Air Force starts the inning with a line drive into the left centerfield gap. Runner at third with nobody out. 

Already a high-pitch count for Dohm as he sits at 45. He gets a much-needed strikeout to get the first out. 

Dohm gets his second strikeout of the inning. Two down and a runner on third.

Good work by Dohm to escape that inning with no runs given up. A flyout to left field ends the inning. MSU leads 2-1. 

Bottom of the 3rd

Jordan strikes out swinging to start the inning. 

Hines goes down swinging as well. 

Chance reaches on a fielding error by the shortstop, and steals second base.

Kohler draws a two-out walk. Runners on first and second. 

Hujsak grounds out to third to end the inning. MSU leads 2-1. 

Top of the 4th

Dohm gets a ground-out to Larry for the first out. 

 A nice play by Cupp in the hole but Hines makes an error at first. One runner on. 

 Air Force ties it up with a line drive down the third base line. Runner on second with one out. 

The second out of the inning comes on a flyball to right field. The runner tags and advances to third and Kohler goes down with an injury on the play. Nate Chester is the new Bulldog third baseman. 

 A flyout to Hujsak ends the inning. The score is tied at two. 

Bottom of the 4th

Downs strikes out looking to start the inning. 

A couple of bad at-bats for the Bulldogs here in the fourth. Long strikes out looking. 

Cupp draws a two-out walk to get the top of the MSU lineup at the plate. 

Larry will end the inning with a shallow flyball to center field. The MSU bats have gone cold after a fast start. Evan Siary will pitch the fifth. 

Top of the 5th

A solo home run to left field starts the inning for Air Force. MSU trails 3-2. 

A chopper to Chester at third is fielded cleanly for the first out of the inning. 

A line drive down the first baseline gets by Hines and it is a one-out double for Air Force. 

Jordan makes a nice diving catch in right field for the second out of the inning. 

A two-out double into left center extends the Air Force lead. 

MSU gets the third out of the inning with a tag out at third base. The Bulldogs need to get the bats going. Air Force leads 4-2. 

Bottom of the 5th

Jordan leads off the inning with a mammoth homerun to center field. The ball just looks different coming off his bat. 

Hines answers with a single up the middle. 

Chance grounds it to first, and they get the lead out, but Chance beats it out at first. One out and a runner on first. 

Chester lines out to right field and Chance is thrown out after an early start. Just bad baseball here at Dudy Noble. Air Force leads 4-3. 

Top of the 6th

Siary starts the inning with a fly ball to right and Jordan catches it for the first out. 

Cupp fields an easy groundball and makes the throw for the second out. 

Siary works a clean inning as he gets a strikeout to end the inning. Air Force leads 4-3. Kyle Moats will come in for Air Force on the mound. 

Bottom of the 6th

Hujsak smokes one but right at the third baseman who catches it for the first out. 

Downs hits one to left field and the defender loses track of it and it falls. Runner on second with one out. 

Long flys out to center field for the second out. 

Cupp draws a two-out walk. Larry will have a chance to hit with runners on first and second. MSU has to cash in on this opportunity.

Another missed opportunity for the Bulldogs as Larry grounds out to the shortstop. Tyler Davis is coming in for the Bulldogs. Air Force leads 4-3. 

Top of the 7th

Davis strikes out the the first batter looking. 

A little blooper falls in front of Jordan in right field. Runner on second with one out. 

Chance catches a lazy flyball in left field to get the second out. 

Davis paints the inside corner and gets a strikeout, looking to end the inning. The MSU offense needs to get this crowd into the game. Air Force leads 4-3. 

Bottom of the 7th

Jordan starts the inning with a four-pitch walk. 

Hines goes down swinging for his third strikeout of the day. 

Chance hits a two-run home run to left-center to give the Bulldogs the lead.

Chester works a one-out walk. Air Force will make a pitching change as Cooper Loveridge will come in. 

Chester advances to second after a wild pitch. 

Hujsak splits the gap in right field to drive in another run. Runner on third with one out. 

Downs strikes out swinging for the second out. 

Highfill pinch hits for Long, and he grounds out to third base to end the inning.  MSU leads 6-4. Cam Schuelke will come in to pitch, and Joe Powell will take over behind the plate. 

Top of the 8th

Schuelke gets a lineout for the first out.

Cupp fields a grounder cleanly for the second out. 

A nasty curveball for Schuelke drops in, and he gets the strikeout looking to end the inning. 

Bottom of the 8th

Cupp leads off the inning with a walk, his third walk of the game.

Cupp steals second. 

A Larry blooper falls and rolls into the visitor's bullpen; Cupp scores and Larry is at third. 

Jordan strikes out swinging for the first out. 

Air Force will bring in lefty Sam Hentges. 

Hines grounds out to first but brings home Larry.

Chance pops out to the second baseman for the third out. The Bulldogs get some much-needed insurance, and they lead 8-4

Top of the 9th

Hujsak grabs it in center for the first out.

Another nice play for the freshman Cupp at short to get the second out.

 Schuelke with an impressive two innings of work as he gets a strike out to end it. MSU wins 8-4. 

Opening Day is Here for the Diamond Dawgs