Three pitchers combine to strike out 10 batters and shut out LSU for first time in 2021Three pitchers combine to strike out 10 batters and shut out LSU for first time in 2021
BATON ROUGE, La. – Another dominant pitching performance for No. 2 Mississippi State baseball gave it a series victory over No. 10 LSU on Saturday (March 20) inside Alex Box Stadium. The Diamond Dawgs posted their fifth shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory and held the Tigers scoreless for the first time in 2021.
Mississippi State (16-3,2-0 SEC) scored single runs in the fifth, eighth and ninth innings, while the pitching staff stranded two LSU (15-5, 0-2 SEC) runners on base twice to earn the series win. The fifth shutout of the season is tied for the NCAA lead with Oklahoma State.
In his second start of the season, second-year freshman Will Bednar (1-0) threw five scoreless innings and retired 13 straight batters between the first and fifth innings. He allowed three hits, walked one and struck out seven. Sophomore Preston Johnson struck out one and walked two in two innings, before second-year freshman Landon Sims (2) closed down his second save of the season with two innings of two-hit work and two strikeouts.
In a game ruled by pitching, the MSU offense was able to put pressure on the LSU defense and execute some small ball to scratch across enough offense. State had four hits but used a sacrifice fly from Lane Forsythe to open the scoring in the fifth. An RBI single from Rowdey Jordan followed a leadoff walk and a wild pitch. In the ninth a one-out walk was followed by a double from Logan Tanner and an RBI ground out from Josh Hatcher.
Luke Hancock was on base twice via walk, while Tanner walked, scored a run and singled. Forsythe, Hatcher and Jordan contributed RBIs.
For LSU, Landon Marceaux (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season with seven innings of work and just one unearned run allowed. He fanned three, walked three and allowed two hits. Dylan Crews chipped in two of LSU’s five hits, while Tre’ Morgan and Jordan Thompson each posted one hit and one walk.
Quotable
Head coach Chris Lemonis
On winning a close game
CL: I thought it was a gritty win. I thought the kids played great and we played well in a lot of phases. You could say we weren’t great offensively, but [LSU starting pitcher Landon Marceaux] is one of the best arms in the country. We were able to grind out some tough at bats and do what we do. We got a nice bunt, had some good base running and got a big hit here and there. We manufactured some runs and I thought we did a great job.
On Will Bednar
CL: He is such a confident kid. To be able to go on the road and pitch like that in his first SEC game, he is just a competitor … In this environment, he didn’t back up at all, he just went right at them. He pounded the zone and made them [put the ball in play]. He is one of the better pitchers out there and it is good to have him back out there.
Scoring Recap
Top Fifth
A leadoff walk to Logan Tanner came around to score thanks to an LSU error and a Lane Forsyth sacrifice fly.
Mississippi State 1, LSU 0
Top Eighth
Brayland Skinner started the inning with a walk and moved to second on a ground out. After a wild pitch moved him to third, Rowdey Jordan singled to bring in the second MSU run of the game.
Mississippi State 2, LSU 0
Top Ninth
A walk to Luke Hancock was followed by a Tanner double to put runners on second and third with one out. Josh Hatcher then grounded out to second base to push the third run across.
Mississippi State 3, LSU 0
Up Next
The Bulldogs and Tigers will close out the series at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 21 at Alex Box Stadium.