STARKVILLE, Miss. – Freshman right-hander Michael Yusypchuk allowed two singles and struck out eight in seven shutout innings Friday afternoon at 18^th-ranked Mississippi State, but the Bulldogs used a three-run eighth to clip the Bears 3-1 in the series opener at Dudy Noble Field.
 
Yusypchuk retired the first seven he faced and yielded only a pair of singles to the Bulldogs' leadoff hitter in a dazzling start, one walk and one hit batter over seven shutout frames, leaving with a no decision while moving his season line to 14 strikeouts and only one walk.
 
The Bears (2-2) got a leadoff double from Tyler Epstein and RBI single from Caden Bogenpohl in the third inning, and it remained a 1-0 lead into the eighth as Mississippi State (4-1) starter Pico Kohn fanned 11 in 6.1 innings of work.
 
The Bulldogs began the eighth with a hit batter and a walk, then struck out before a single loaded the bases with one out. The home team tied it with a ground out, and Noah Sullivan's two-out, two-run double turned out to be the difference.
 
MoState had its share of chances late, stranding a runner in scoring position in each of the final four innings.
 
Bogenpohl, Taeg Gollert, Zack Stewart, Jake McCutcheon and Epstein collected the Bears' five hits, while the Bulldogs mustered only four base knocks.
 
Game two of the series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday.