Starkville, Miss. – Mississippi State baseball fans sure had one heck of an evening as Chris Lemonis and the Mississippi State Bulldogs managed to mangle the LSU Tigers in Dudy Noble Field.
In a fairly unexpected manner, the Miss. State baseball team somehow managed to overpower the No. 2 LSU Tigers by a score of 10-4 in the series opener. Let’s go over how that happened.
Table of Contents
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSU | (16-3) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| Mississippi State | (14-5) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | X | 10 | 16 | 1 |
This was pretty great, all things considered. The Mississippi State baseball team got the weekend rolling with an emphatic 10-4 victory over the LSU Tigers. The Bulldogs’ bats came alive as MSU managed to smack 16 hits all while superb pitching stifled the Tigers.
There’s no better way to get a weekend series started against an SEC juggernaut than like this.
Offensive explosion propels MSU Bulldogs past LSU
Mississippi State really didn’t waste much time trying to get on the scoreboard.
The Bulldogs pushed a run across the plate in the second inning plating a run in the 2nd inning. But, after LSU claimed a lead, State really surged ahead in the bottom of the 5th inning. Mississippi State was able to tie things up as Hunter Hines blasted a solo homer. And then after a pair of singles MSU jumped ahead 5-3.
In the bottom of the 6th, another RBI single pushed a run across the plate and gave State a 6-3 lead.
The Bulldogs put the game out of reach with a 4-run 8th inning. With two on, Hines delivered again, crushing a 3-run homer to right field. Kohler added yet another RBI single to cap the scoring.
In total, seven different Mississippi State players recorded an RBI in the well-balanced approach at the plate.
Freshman sensation Nolan Stevens shines in relief for Mississippi State baseball
While the offense will get the headlines from some, there is absolutely no way one particularly impressive pitching performance won’t get mentioned. The Mississippi State baseball team also got a stellar showing on the mound from Nolan Stevens, a freshman from California.
The relief pitcher entered in the 4th inning in relief of starter Siary and completely shut down the LSU offense from there.
Over 5.2 impressive innings, Stevens allowed just 1 run on 1 hit. He struck out 8 batters and issued only 2 walks to earn his second win of the season. Stevens’ ability to provide length out of the bullpen was crucial in securing the victory.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | BF | AB | NP | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nolan Stevens | 5.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 82 | W (2-0) |
What’s next for Mississippi State and LSU?
With the win, Mississippi State improves to 14-5 on the season. They’ll look to secure the series with (hopefully) a win over LSU on Saturday as these two teams continue their rivalry. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 PM at Dudy Noble Field.
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