State bullpen closes out game one win over Missouri, 4-3
As the final SEC weekend begins, No. 16 Mississippi State is counting the regular season down with each win getting the Diamond Dawgs closer to a Regional host.
Thursday night’s series opener against Missouri was a big one to get for the Bulldogs. State had to sweat things out most of the game as the Tigers kept it close but State got a run in the seventh to take the lead and the bullpen held it in a 4-3 victory.
“They’re a very good pitching and defense team so you’re going up against a team that can really pitch and defend,” coach Chris Lemonis. “They’ve played Tennessee and won and lost two one-run games. We haven’t been great offensively this week besides maybe Joe Powell. I thought we pitched pretty good.”
Game one starter Khal Stephen wasn’t at his best but improved to 8-3 on the season as he threw 6.0 innings with five hits, three runs, one walk and eight strikeouts. Missouri had just two hits in the game off of Stephen that weren’t home runs.
The long ball was popular on Friday night. Mizzou got all three of its runs on solo home runs while the Bulldogs hit two themselves. The problem for each team was that no one was on base so it would be a low scoring affair.
State got the first of its runs in the second inning on Amani Larry’s home run. In the third, Bryce Chance would triple and come home to score to make it a 2-0 lead.
After the two teams traded home runs, the Tigers quickly tied things up. Stephen would give up back-to-back home runs in the sixth to make it 3-3, but the starter rebounded and got State out of the inning.
“For me, it felt like we were in control the whole night. It felt like we were in control, we just couldn’t pull away,” Chance said. “That’s something that we need to get better at.”
Keeping it tied proved to be crucial as the Bulldogs would get the lead right back in the sixth. With two outs and Larry standing on third after a stolen base, Joe Powell popped one up into centerfield and the twilight sky swallowed the ball as it fell harmlessly to the grass scoring the eventual game-winning run.
“It happens a lot and tonight was a really bad twilight,” Lemonis said. “I had just turned around and told my guys that it’s going to be tough out there and then he hits that ball and I’m shaking my head like I’m real smart afterwards. It’s just tough to see at certain times of night.”
Tyson Hardin and Tyler Davis pitched the final 3.0 innings of the game and held the Tigers at bay. Hardin ran into a little trouble but left two on base in the seventh inning and the tying run was left stranded at third in the eighth as he struck out four batters and gave up one hit in his 2.0 innings.
Davis earned his fourth save of the season throwing a ninth inning where he struck out three batters and allowed just one hit.
“We have a lot of guys and have to have our trust in everyone,” Hardin said. “We trust hitters and they trust us. I think our bullpen is elite and we all know that down there and our starters know that.”
At the plate, State scratched across just five hits and four of them came from just two players. Joe Powell continued to stay hot as he has now gone six of his last six at the plate. Powell drove in a run on a double on Thursday. Chance also had a good night going 2-for-4 at the top of the order with a home run and a triple.
State (35-18, 16-12 SEC) moves on to Friday’s game two of the series as the Bulldogs will throw Jurrangelo Cijntje (7-1, 3.57 ERA) while the Tigers have TBA listed for their starter the next two days.
The game time on Friday was moved up three hours due to predicted weather and will now begin at 3 p.m.
