Junior pitcher Matty Ott picked a bittersweet night to tie LSU’s all-time saves record with 29.
A resilient Mississippi Valley State (0-9) battled back from a 6-0 first-inning deficit but fell short, 10-8, as the No. 19 LSU baseball team (9-0) squeaked out a win Wednesday night.
“They were a really scrappy team,” said sophomore right fielder Mason Katz. “They were never going to give up the whole way.”
After going down in order to start the game, the Delta Devils answered the Tigers’ six-run first inning onslaught with three runs in the second inning.
“We preach to our pitchers to not give back runs after our offense puts up a good inning,” Katz said. “We didn’t play bad defense. They were just staying in the count and hitting the ball hard.”
Katz retaliated with an RBI single to center field in the bottom of the second inning to increase LSU’s lead to 7-3. The Delta Devils fought back with two more runs off two doubles and a single in the top of the third inning to cut LSU’s lead, 7-5.
The Tigers hadn’t allowed more than four runs in any game this season.
MVSU chased LSU senior pitcher Daniel Bradshaw after 2 1/3 innings in his first start of 2011.
All five runs were earned as Bradshaw divvied out six hits, including a two-run home run to MVSU junior first baseman Derek Wallace, who was hitting .200 with no home runs entering the game.
“It wasn’t so much what we were doing bad as much as what they were doing good that got them back into the game,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri.
The Tigers never trailed but were forced to keep scoring as the Delta Devils put on the pressure.
MVSU senior catcher Kylie Ming led off the fifth inning with a single and stole second base.
Ming scored later in the inning after MVSU hit into a double play, slimming the Tiger lead to 8-6 after LSU junior centerfielder Mikie Mahtook scored on a wild pitch the inning before.
LSU tacked on two more runs in the bottom half of the inning on a solo home run by freshman second baseman JaCoby Jones and a squeeze bunt by junior third baseman Tyler Hanover, which brought in junior left fielder Trey Watkins.
“I knew he was coming back with a fastball because he wouldn’t throw me a changeup [with a 3-1 count],” Jones said. “I sat on a fastball, and that’s what I got.”
Watkins finished the night with a career-high three stolen bases, while Jones continued his torrid start, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
The Nos. 6-9 hitters, consisting of Katz, sophomore first baseman Alex Edward, junior catcher Jordy Snikeris and Jones, combined for nine hits and six RBIs.
The Delta Devils continued the slugfest with two unearned runs in the seventh inning off freshman pitcher Nick Rumbelow but were shut out in the eighth and ninth innings by sophomore Chris Cotton and Ott.
Ott’s save tied the record of former Tiger closer Rick Greene.
“It’s a great honor,” Ott said. “Rick’s son comes out and throws the first pitch today, and his son even messaged me on Facebook and said, ‘I hope you beat the record.'”
Follow Rowan Kavner on Twitter @TDR_Kavner.
 
—-
Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]