Logan Tanner homers for second straight game, pitching staff strikes out 13 batters in victory
STARKVILLE – Identical 4-1 scores ended the weekend for the No. 2 Mississippi State baseball program, but the two games could not have been more different. The Diamond Dawgs followed up Saturday’s walk-off by scoring four early runs on Sunday (March 14) to complete the series sweep of the Eagles.
A three-run double by Scotty Dubrule opened the scoring in the second inning, before the two teams exchanged solo home runs in the third inning to cap the scoring. Mississippi State (13-3) out-hit EMU (4-5), 8-4, and the MSU pitching staff fanned 13 batters to just two walks.
On the weekend, the Maroon and White held EMU to two runs on nine hits in 27 innings of work. The Eagles struck out 39 times, walked four and reached via hit-by-pitch three times for an on-base percentage of .167. State also played sparkling defense with two errorless games and a .990 fielding percentage over the three games.
True freshman Jackson Fristoe (2-0) collected with win with four innings of work and one run allowed. A third-inning solo home run was the lone blemish on his resume, as he walked two and struck out three. Second-year freshman Will Bednar fired four innings of scoreless baseball with just one hit allowed. He fanned seven of the 13 batter he faced.
Second-year freshman Landon Sims (1) closed out his first career save with a perfect ninth inning. Sims got three strikeouts in the ninth to bring his total to 30 on the season in 11 2/3 innings of work.
Dubrule and Logan Tanner led the offense with two hits apiece and accounted for all four of MSU’s RBIs. Dubrule’s second-inning bases loaded double brought in the first three runs and Tanner’s solo home run in the third accounted for the fourth run of the contest. Sophomore Tanner Allen moved his reached base streak to 16 straight games with a hit-by-pitch.
For Eastern Michigan, Mark Kattula hit a solo home run in the third inning as part of a two-hit afternoon. Luke McGuire (1-1) took the loss with four innings pitched and four runs – three earned – allowed. He allowed five hits, walked one and struck out two.
Quotable
Head coach Chris Lemonis
On getting the offense going early in the game
CL: They are always trying to get things done earlier, so it’s not a lack of intention. I think it is the way the game is played. We talked about hit one and stack ones on top of each other early in the game. Especially with the way that we pitch, it’s been nice for us. That’s been our mentality. We got a couple early today and that’s why we were able to relax and play. Knowing who we had on the mound today, those guys pitched really well.
On the pitching staff limiting the walks over the weekend
CL: This group, we threw some balls week one, and so it threw me off because we had been so good pounding the zone throughout practices. In the last couple weeks, they’re pitching the way they normally do, and they’ve been really good … The two solo homers were the only runs we gave up all weekend, so making sure nobody is on base for that is probably the key.
Scoring Recap
Bottom Second
Logan Tanner and Josh Hatcher opened the inning with back-to-back singles and Lane Forsythe reached after a throwing mishap to load the bases with one out. Scotty Dubrule stepped up and cleared the bases with a double to deep left center to score the first three runs of the game.
Mississippi State 3, Eastern Michigan 0
Top Third
Mark Kattula hit a one-out home run to left field for the Eagles only run in the game.
Mississippi State 3, Eastern Michigan 1
Bottom Third
Tanner got his second hit of the day and capped the scoring for both teams with a two-out, solo home run to left field.
Mississippi State 4, Eastern Michigan 1
Up Next
Week five begins with a 6 p.m. midweek tilt against Samford on Tuesday, March 16 at Dudy Noble Field. The Diamond Dawgs then travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to open SEC play at LSU on March 19-21.