<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=24bedq_0t2RtSPP00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=24bedq_0t2RtSPP00" width="611" height="320" >STARKVILLE, Miss. – Joe Powell homered three times and drove in six runs leading Mississippi State to an 8-4 win over North Alabama Tuesday night at Dudy Noble Field. The Diamond Dogs improved to 34-18 on the year.Mississippi State right hander Nate Dohm made his first appearance for the Diamond Dogs since April 7 when he threw eight pitches in a rehabilitation comeback attempt against Georgia. Dohm retired North Alabama in order to start things. In the bottom of the initial inning, Bryce Chance led off with an infield hit off right hander John Allen Stogner. Chance moved to third on consecutive pitches, a wild one and a passed ball. David Mershon lined a single to center, scoring Chance and Mississippi State grabbed a lead after just two batters. Dakota Jordan took a called third strike for the first out of the inning. A wild pitch and then a throwing error by Stogner moved Mershon over to third. Hunter Hines struck out swinging for the second out. Amani Larry hit a soft fly to left to end the first.Dohm tossed a hitless second, as well. Logan Kohler struck out swinging to start the bottom half for State. Ground outs from Ethan Pulliam and Michael O'Brien concluded the second.Colby Holcombe entered in relief of Dohm who threw 22 pitches. He retired the three Lions he faced in the third, two on strikeouts. Joe Powell led off the bottom of the frame with a 436-foot home run to the back of the Left Field Lounge. MSU led 2-0 after that blast. It was Powell's second home run in as many games. After a Chance strikeout, Mershon walked. UNA went to its bullpen for right handed reliever Justin Battle. A Jordan fly to center was the second out. A Hines K ended the inning.Cal Cook led off the North Alabama fourth with his team's first hit and first run, a home run to left center that barely escaped Chance's leaping attempt. The Lions had cut the lead in half. Holcombe set the next three down to move the game to the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, Larry popped out to first and Kohler lined out to left. But Pulliam pulled a double to left to put a Bulldog in scoring position. O'Brien walked and Powell singled to short and State had the bases loaded. But a Chance strikeout kept MSU off the scoreboard in the fourth.Left hander Luke Dotson entered for State. An infield single on a chopper off the plate with one out gave UNA a chance in the fifth. And a walk with two outs put a Lion in scoring position. A fielder's choice grounder to second ended the top of the inning. Mershon's fly out to center was the first out in the sixth and brought right hander Carson Howard to the hill for UNA. Jordan greeted Howard with an infield single to the hole at short. But Hines grounded into a double play, first unassisted to short covering.Levi Jensen pinch hit to begin the sixth and rolled a double just inside the third base line and into the left field corner. With one out, a hit by pitch put Lions at first and second and brought Cam Schuelke to the mound. Another double down the third base line tied the game and put Lions at second and third. But Schuelke got a pair of punchouts to keep it deadlocked headed to the bottom of the sixth. Larry drew a full count walk to begin that bottom. A stolen base and a throwing error on the catcher advanced Larry to third. Kohler's line drive to the shortstop was the first out of the inning. When Pulliam walked on a full count, MSU had runners at the corners. O'Brien's grounder to second hit Pulliam, and MSU still had runners at first and third. With two down, Powell's second home run of the day, this one a three-run shot to the back row of the Lounge made it 5-2 State. Right hander Anthony Pingeton was summoned to the UNA hill. Schuelke was back in the center of the diamond to start the seventh. A strikeout and two grounders got MSU's offense back in the dugout. UNA turned to right hander Justus Agosto to face MSU. Mershon sliced a double to the left field corner to start things. A throwing error by the pitcher on a pickoff attempt landed Mershon at third. Jordan's sacrifice line out to right made it 6-2. Hines drew a 3-2 walk and the Bulldogs had a runner aboard again. A fielder's choice put Larry at first with two out. A Kohler K moved the game along to the eighth.Jensen led off the eight with a second-straight double to left. An infield hit over the second base bag put Lions at first and third. A ground out to third scored North Alabama's third run, but recorded its first out in the eighth. Andrew Knight's single to left center cut MSU's lead to 6-4. A fielder's choice at second was the second out of the frame and a strikeout ended it. In the bottom of the eighth, Powell's two-run home run to dead center got those UNA runs back, 8-4.Schuelke finished it for State. North Alabama box and game notes to come.</div></body>

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Quick recap: Mississippi State powers past North Alabama

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Joe Powell homered three times and drove in six runs leading Mississippi State to an 8-4 win over North Alabama Tuesday night at Dudy Noble Field. The Diamond Dogs improved to 34-18 on the year. Mississippi State right hander Nate Dohm made his first appearance for...

Quick recap: Mississippi State powers past North Alabama

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