Bama shuts down State offense in 4-1 game two win
Mississippi State took its monster offensive day on Friday and translated it to the first at bat on Saturday, but the Diamond Dawgs couldn’t keep it rolling.
After Gehrig Frei hit a solo home run in the first at bat of the game, the Bulldogs never scored again. Starting pitcher Riley Quick dominated the State hitters and the bullpen kept it going as the Crimson Tide evened the series in a 2-1 game.
Quick had a career day with 5.1 innings pitched and seven strikeouts while the Bulldogs couldn’t get a walk against him and scored just the one run. When State got into the bullpen, they had a chance in the sixth inning to make something happen with runners at the corners and one out but Bryce Chance’s double play ended the inning and the threat for State.
“Tip your hat, obviously they threw an All-American today. But we didn’t do enough offensively,” head coach Chris Lemonis said. “We had opportunities to get a big hit and we didn’t and they do. That’s the disappointing side.”
That missed opportunity would loom large as State would see the lead push out in the seventh. Bama got the bottom of the order on base with hits and got those eight and nine hole hitters home on a sacrifice fly and two-out RBI single for the 4-1 lead. That advantage would be more than enough for the Crimson Tide.
The Bulldogs got two more on base in the ninth with one out but State left them stranded as well.
A day after pouring on 11 runs on 17 hits against the Tide, State had nine hits but just one run off of it. The Bulldogs had runners on base throughout the game but could never get the big hit to generate offense.
Frei led the team with a 2-for-4 day hitting the solo home run and also a double. Ace Reese finished 2-for-4 and Noah Sullivan had a double in the game.
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On the mound, starter Evan Siary threw 4.0 innings and gave up five hits, two runs, two walks and four strikeouts. The two walks led off the second inning and leadoff man Richie Bonomolo Jr. brought them home on a two-out RBI double.
Ben Davis came in to pitch the final 4.0 innings and surrendered four hits and two runs without a walk and he struck out two batters.
State (21-14, 4-10 SEC) is facing an important rubber match on Sunday as the Diamond Dawgs play game three at 1 p.m. Karson Ligon will be on the mound against a starter that has yet to be named by the Tide.
“I don’t think they had to use too much (pitching),” Lemonis said. “We’re figuring out who they’re starting and trying to have a gameplan (Sunday). We feel good about what we have pitching wise but we have to have more offense.”
