The Mississippi State (19-4, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) baseball team may have wrestled away the series finale from LSU (18-2, 2-1 SEC), but the Tigers left Starkville, Miss., with two victories after dominant offensive performances Friday and Saturday.
“[Sunday] just wasn’t our day, and it’s not a loss we’re going to dwell upon,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I’m very proud of our players for winning two games here in a very tough environment. I thought they played their hearts out and gave us a good start in the SEC race.”
The Bulldogs found themselves in holes on several occasions in the first two games of the weekend series, but MSU took the initiative Sunday with sophomore southpaw Cody Glenn (3-1) on the mound for LSU.
Back-to-back doubles by MSU junior right fielder Hunter Renfroe and sophomore first baseman Wes Rea gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead in the first inning, and the squad never looked back.
Led by junior center fielder C.T. Bradford and Rea, who each had three RBIs, the Bulldogs piled 10 runs on the Tigers’ pitching staff, dropping LSU for its second loss of the 2013 campaign.
Glenn, who struggled with control and allowed three walks, only pitched three-and-one-third innings, being charged with six runs on six hits.
The loss was Glenn’s first of the season, as his first start against SEC competition proved to be a rough experience.
LSU had trouble offensively against MSU senior starter Kendall Graveman. The Tigers managed 11 hits but only converted two runs on the game.
Tigers junior second baseman JaCoby Jones flourished in the leadoff role, picking up two hits, an RBI and a walk. The second LSU run came courtesy of sophomore outfielder Jared Foster, who lifted a solo home run over the left field wall in the top of the eighth inning.
Senior first baseman Mason Katz, who hit home runs in five consecutive games, went hitless Sunday afternoon.
Even with the Sunday loss, the Tigers return to Baton Rouge with a 2-1 SEC record.
LSU starter Aaron Nola (2-0) took the mound Friday night, going five-and-two-thirds innings and surrendering nine hits and four runs. The bullpen kept the squad in the contest, though, as the likes of seniors Brent Bonvillain, Joey Bourgeois and Chris Cotton combined to toss four-and-a-third innings of scoreless baseball.
Meanwhile, LSU rode the bat of Katz. His two-home run, four-RBI performance, including a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning, gave the Tigers a 6-4 victory to open up SEC road play.
Mainieri decided to change the lineup Saturday night, as freshman outfielder Andrew Stevenson earned a start and Jones moved up to the leadoff spot in the order.
Jones responded by picking up two hits and two RBIs, including a double to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning. Katz and freshman shortstop Alex Bregman both launched home runs, and Bregman’s three-run shot in the ninth allowed for some breathing room in a 7-3 LSU win.
Junior starter Ryan Eades (4-0) was efficient on the mound, tossing seven innings and allowing one run on six hits and recording eight strikeouts. Eades now leads the LSU starting staff in victories, and he’s tied with Nola for the team lead in strikeouts with 36.
“It’s so important after winning the first game of a series for your Saturday starter to give you a chance to clinch the series, and Ryan did just that [on Saturday],” Mainieri said.
“I’m very proud of our players for winning two games [in Starkville] in a very tough environment. I thought they played their hearts out and gave us a good start in the SEC race.”
