Golden Eagles shutdown State lineup as No. 18 Diamond Dawgs fall 3-0
HATTIESBURG – There’s been a lot of talk this season about the improved Mississippi State lineup this season, but the Diamond Dawgs couldn’t find that offense on Tuesday night.
Taking on instate rival Southern Miss on the road, the Bulldogs were shutdown for the duration and defensive miscues loomed large in a 3-0 shutout. The Diamond Dawgs couldn’t get a hit until the sixth inning and struck out nine times in the loss.
“They started off with a really good arm, located and kept it down. We hit a couple of balls hard early but we just couldn’t get it to go for us,” head coach Chris Lemonis said. “We fell behind and didn’t have great composure early in the game. They took it and ran with it and credit to them, they’re a really good team. We just didn’t make adjustments in the box. We’ve got to get better.”
The State offense was mostly the story for the game since the Diamond Dawgs couldn’t score a run. MSU had just four hits in the game and six total base runners.
Starter Colby Allen was a big reason for that as the preseason All-American and former Starkville Academy pitcher came out and shoved for the Golden Eagles. The Louisville native threw 4.0 frames and didn’t surrender a hit or a run as he dominated the Bulldog lineup with five strikeouts and one walk.
Allen walked the first batter he saw and only one would reach for the next 5.2 innings and that came via an error. Lukas Buckner broke up the no-hitter in the sixth as the freshman came in as a reserve for Sawyer Reeves after two errors from the starting second baseman.
Buckner finished 2-for-2 and had half of the team’s hits.
“He’s been doing it all year, he’s just been the young guy,” Lemonis said. “He’s pushing it right now. He’s just a ball player. There’s no fear, he just wants to play and he looked great tonight.”
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Another freshman was up in a big moment as well with Charlie Foster starting for the Bulldogs. He threw 2.0 innings, gave up one hit, three runs, one earned run, two walks and three strikeouts. Three errors when he was in the game allowed the Golden Eagles to score two runs.
Behind him, State’s bullpen was fantastic. Ben Davis, Evan Siary, Robert Fortenberry and Chase Hungate combined for 6.0 innings of shutout baseball with just three hits, no walks and five strikeouts.
“Our bullpen is amazing and it clearly shows that our bullpen can work through anything,” Davis said. “You’ve just got to take it all in and enjoy it and can’t take it for granted. I felt great.”
MSU (3-1) will try to get back on track this weekend as the Bulldogs come home to take on a tough Missouri State program at Dudy Noble Field. The three-game set begins on Friday at 4 p.m. with a Saturday first pitch set for 2 p.m. and Sunday’s at 1 p.m.
