Bednar throws career-best eight innings with 11 strikeouts to earn sixth win of the season
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A career-high eight innings from Will Bednar and multi-RBI games from Tanner Allen and Luke Hancock helped the No. 3 Mississippi State baseball program to a 7-0 victory over Alabama to lock up its seventh SEC series victory of the season on Friday (May 21) evening inside Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Mississippi State (38-13, 18-10 SEC) got the scoring started with a solo home run by Kamren James in the second inning and then added three in the third, two in the fifth and one in the ninth. Bednar and Brandon Smith allowed just five base runners to shutout Alabama (29-20, 12-15 SEC) in Tuscaloosa for the first time since 2014.
A couple of Bulldogs kept their hitting streaks alive, as Rowdey Jordan extended his reached base streak to 36 games to go with an 11-game hitting streak. Tanner Allen extended his hitting streak to a career- high 15 games. Allen also boasted his 12th multi-RBI game in SEC play – and 17th of the season – with a sacrifice fly and an RBI double.
Jamesdisplayed his power with his ninth home run of the season. Hancock was clutch with three RBIs in three separate plate appearances to notch his 14th multi-RBI game of the year.
Bednar (5-1) tossed a season high eight shutout innings to go along with 11 strikeouts, the second-highest mark of his career. The right-hander allowed only five baserunners on three hits and two walks. Smithretired the Crimson Tide in order to wrap up State’s seventh shutout of the season and third in SEC play.
Dylan Smith (1-6) gave the Crimson Tide 7 2/3 innings and allowed six runs on eight hits. Peyton Wilson was the offensive highlight going 2-for-4 with two singles. Jackson Tate added a double to round out Alabama’s hits for the night.
Quotable
Head coach Chris Lemonis
On back-to-back quality starts
CL: it is a nice feeling. Starting pitching dictates so much and we have gotten two great starts from our guys on the road. It lets our bullpen rest and be ready for Sunday. We have a handful of fresh arms to go tomorrow. They are going to come out fighting for a lot and it will be a very competitive game tomorrow.
On Kamren James production
CL: He is huge to our lineup. On weekends that we play well, he is right in the middle of that and he has put some huge weekends together for us because he can hit for average, he can hit for power and he can run. You see him do a lot of things for us and it shows. He has nine [home runs] and 47 RBIs, that is a good year for a freshman.
Scoring Recap
Top Second
With one out, Kamren James launched a home run over the left field wall.
Mississippi State 1, Alabama 0
Top Third
Tanner Leggett led off the inning with a double and scored on a Rowdey Jordan double down the right field line. Tanner Allen continued the trend with an RBI double to score Jordan. Allen moved over to third base on a single by Logan Tanner. Luke Hancock capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to score Allen.
Mississippi State 4, Alabama 0
Top Fifth
Lane Forsythe was hit-by-pitch and advanced to third on a single by Jordan. After Jordan moved up to second base on a wild pitch, Allen added another RBI with a sacrifice fly to score Forsythe and move Jordan to third. Hancock plated the second RBI with a single up the middle.
Mississippi State 6, Alabama 0
Top Ninth
Forsythe and Jordan led off the inning with back-to-back walks. Allen reached on a fielder’s choice in which Jordan was out at second and Forsythe moved to third. He later scored on a groundout by Hancock.
Mississippi State 7, Alabama 0
Up Next
Mississippi State and Alabama will close the regular season with a 1 p.m. first pitch from Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The game will be carried on the Mississippi State Radio Network and on SEC Network+ via the ESPN App.