Dominant Opening Day leaves impression as State takes two blowout wins over Manhattan
A long, cold day at Dudy Noble Field brought plenty of strong returns for Mississippi State on Friday.
The Diamond Dawgs followed up a dominant game one with another in game two as State grabbed its second run-rule win in as many games, 13-1 in seven innings. State scored double digit runs in each game and had its pitching staff combine for 27 strikeouts and just four walks in 14.0 innings.
After Pico Kohn carved up the Jaspers in the first game, Karson Ligon got stronger as his outing transpired. The senior threw 4.0 innings, gave up four hits, one run, zero walks and he struck out eight batters. After giving up two of those hits and the lone run in the second, Ligon was strong in the final 2.0 innings.
“I think it was just settling in and getting the feel for my off speed because I’m a much harder to hit when my off speed is going,” Ligon said. “I’m more predictable early when I don’t have my off speed going early and it makes me more hittable.”
Behind him, State was stout as newcomers Ben Davis and Chase Hungate combined to throw 3.0 scoreless with just two hits, no runs, no walks and five strikeouts. Davis had four of those strikeouts in 2.0 innings.
The Bulldogs actually trailed in the game after Ligon surrendered a double and a single in the second. State fired back with five runs the next two frames with a run in the fifth making it 6-1. State would unload in the sixth and seventh as Aaron Downs and Nolan Stevens came through with two-out RBI. Stevens was a two-run double that would get State closer to a run-rule.
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The game ended in the seventh when Reed Stallman came in the game and hit a three-run home run to centerfield to end the game early.
Of the 11 hits in the second game, the Bulldogs had a 3-for-4 afternoon from Brayce Chance and he drove in a run as he finished the double header with five total hits. Downs was 2-for-3 with four RBI in the game and totaled seven RBI in two games after hitting his first career homer in game one.
“Offensively, when we were good we were very approach driven,” coach Chris Lemonis said. “Stayed on some balls, moved some runners, two-out hits. Just played some baseball. The wind was blowing and you’re not seeing a ton of velo. I thought our guys just did a great job of staying locked in.”
State (2-0) will be back in action on Sunday afternoon as Saturday’s game was a wash due to nasty weather coming into the area. The team will have the day off and spend it practicing in the afternoon on Saturday before coming back to work for Sunday’s series finale at 1 p.m.
