It didn’t look pretty at the beginning, but the Bulldogs got it done. Despite a rocky start from Christian MacLeod, Mississippi State took down Kent State, 8-3, Friday night.

MacLeod, who has been solid so far this year, was touched up in the early going. Kent State got on the board in the 1st, knocking an RBI single. The Bulldogs were able to get out of the inning thanks to a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play. State responded in the bottom half, as Rowdey Jordan led off with a triple, and he was brought home by a Scotty Dubrule groundout.

The Golden Flashes continued to show hot bats in the 2nd. A solo shot allowed them to re-gain the lead, followed up by a couple walks and a single to load the bases. MacLeod proceeded to give up another run on a wild pitch, and he was pulled after his third walk of the inning. Enter Brandon Smith. With the bases loaded and two outs, Smith forced a groundout to limit the damage.

“When I first came in there, I had a good feel for fastball away, fastball away, fastball in,” Smith said. “That’s probably been the biggest piece to my success so far, being able to locate first-pitch strikes and making them hit my pitches.”

State stranded two in the bottom half of the inning, but Smith continued to roll on the mound. Groundout, strikeout, line out for a 1-2-3 frame. After the Bulldogs went down in order, line out, strikeout, groundout for Smith. MSU left the bases loaded in the 4th, but Smith threw a strikeout and forced two groundouts to fan the side in order again.

Bottom of the 5th, down 3-1, State needed to put something together at the plate. Rowdey Jordan led off with a single. Scotty Dubrule walked. Tanner Allen singled, scoring Rowdey, and State was down a run. Logan Tanner walked, and Josh Hatcher was plunked. Tie game. Luke Hancock took his first pitch for a single, scoring two. Bulldogs lead. Kamren James grounded into a fielder’s choice but brought home Hatcher. Three-run lead. After James stole 2nd, Landon Jordan plated him with an RBI single.

State entered the 5th down, 3-1. State entered the 6th up, 7-3. “It felt good,” Rowdey Jordan said. “We’re scuffling a little bit, struggling, not having great atbats. Then, we put up a six-spot. That’s huge for everybody’s confidence and the team’s confidence. All around, that big inning put a lot of pressure off yourself, and we played well the rest of the game.” Brandon Smith went back out in the 6th.

What do you think he did? Strikeout, strikeout, pop out. 3-up, 3-down. MSU stranded a couple in the bottom half, and Will Bednar—mysterious injury and all— replaced him on the bump. Line out, strikeout, strikeout. He seemed completely fine, maxing out at 96 with his fastball.

The Bulldogs didn’t get anything going at the plate, but Carlisle Koestler continued the dominant pitching with yet another 1-2-3 inning. Tanner Allen singled in the bottom of the 8th to extend State’s lead with another run and Koestler worked around a leadoff walk and struck out three straight batters.

Bulldogs win, 8-3, and are now 7-2 on the young campaign.

“We’re playing good baseball, but we’re nowhere near playing our best baseball,” Chris Lemonis said. “We’re in a process of figuring ourselves out and growing and getting a little better. It’s a young group in a lot of ways, but it’s fun to see them play well. Coming from behind doesn’t bother us. We almost feel like we have to play from behind sometimes.”