Mississippi State hit six home runs and won the early exchanges, but Georgia answered in the eighth. Mike O’Shaughnessy’s three-run homer lifted the No. 3 Bulldogs past the No. 17 Bulldogs 13-12 in the Athens Super Regional opener at Foley Field.
ATHENS, Ga. — At Foley Field, the day started like a home-run highlight reel for Mississippi State. By the time the second inning ended. the scoreboard already looked like a statement: six runs. six chances turned into damage. and a 6-0 lead that made the opening game of the Athens Super Regional feel within reach.
Then Georgia refused to fold. The back-and-forth turned into a slugfest with 25 runs, 31 hits, and 11 home runs — and in the late moment that mattered most, the shift landed on the Bulldogs’ side.
Mississippi State, ranked No. 17, built its early advantage with a six-run second inning. Jacob Parker drew a leadoff walk. Vytas Valincius followed with a single. and Reed Stallman launched a three-run homer to right field. Kevin Milewski and Bryce Chance singled later in the inning before Ace Reese reached on an error that scored two more runs. Parker finished it with an RBI single to center, pushing the lead to 6-0.
The margin held long enough for another surge. Milewski added to it in the fourth with a solo shot, making it 7-0.
Georgia, No. 3, answered in the bottom halves with the kind of punch that doesn’t wait for permission. In the second frame of its comeback, Daniel Jackson and Rylan Lujo opened with back-to-back solo homers. Jack Arcamone added a sacrifice fly, and Ryan Black delivered a two-run double to cut the deficit to 7-5.
The Bulldogs took their first lead in the fifth. O’Shaughnessy hit a two-run homer, and Kolby Branch followed later in the inning with a two-run double to put Georgia ahead 9-7.
Mississippi State didn’t stop swinging. Milewski and Gehrig Frei hit solo homers early in the sixth to tie the game at 9. After Lujo’s second homer gave Georgia the lead again in the bottom of the sixth, Ryder Woodson answered with a solo shot in the seventh to pull State level at 10.
Reese then swung the momentum back in Mississippi State’s direction in the eighth. He finished the inning’s charge with a solo homer to center. Parker walked, Valincius singled, and Milewski was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to stretch the advantage to 12-10.
But Georgia had one swing left that mattered more than the ones before it.
In the eighth, Kenny Ishikawa was hit by a pitch and Jackson singled, setting the stage for Mike O’Shaughnessy’s decisive move. He hit his second homer of the game — a three-run shot to right — to put Georgia in front 13-12.
Justin Byrd worked around two base runners in the ninth to earn his eighth save. Grant Edwards picked up the win for Georgia, while Dane Burns took the loss for Mississippi State.
The numbers told the same story in different ways: Mississippi State finished with 15 hits. including home runs from Stallman. Milewski. Reese. Woodson. Frei. and others in the stretch that made Foley Field feel tilted. Reese finished 3-for-6, and Milewski and Chance each had three hits for Mississippi State. Milewski went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs, and three runs scored, leaving the yard twice.
For Georgia, O’Shaughnessy drove in five runs. Lujo went 3-for-5 with two solo homers and three runs scored. Stallman, Woodson, and Reese all contributed to State’s late rallies, but in the end, Georgia’s eighth-inning response decided the opener.
Mississippi State (43-18) will try to keep its season alive Sunday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN. Sophomore right-hander Ryan McPherson (4-1, 2.81 ERA) will start for Mississippi State, while UGA will counter with graduate right-hander Caden Aoki (9-1, 3.86 ERA).
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Mississippi State Georgia Bulldogs Super Regional Foley Field Mike O'Shaughnessy Ryan McPherson Caden Aoki college baseball
Baseball is just random swings and vibes lol, 13-12 is wild.
Wait so Georgia came back in the eighth? That’s literally when I always turn the game off because of “momentum” or whatever.
Mississippi State had 6 home runs and still almost lost?? Sounds like their pitching just gave up or the defense was cursed. Also “shift landed on the Bulldogs’ side” like the crowd decided it??
I don’t even get how it’s a Super Regional if they’re playing “the opener” like it’s the first regular season game. O’Shaughnessy hit a three-run shot and suddenly it’s over, classic. Georgia had 11 homers right? that feels fake like those gotta be training dingers. Either way, Foley Field must be juiced or something.