LSU baseball clinched their series win in pitchers duel versus Mississippi State on Friday night.
The game was delayed by two and a half hours due to inclement weather. The rain and wind continued to be a factor all night.
Anthony Eyanson ended up tallying a season high pitch count while also recording his second highest number of strikeouts this season.
Eyanson set the tone with three up, three down to start the game. The Tiger bats started slow as well, going down in order to end the first inning.
Eyanson surrendered one walk in the second while the rain was coming down hard. He tallied three strikeouts to get out of the inning.
Ethan Frey notched the scoreboard with a home run to left field to lead off but the next three Tigers struck out.
In the third inning, LSU and Mississippi State were able to record doubles but both base runners got stranded on third base.
The rain slacked off to start the fourth inning but Eyanson surrendered two singles and a walk to load the bases. A passed ball brought in the first Bulldog and advanced the other two into scoring position with no outs.
Eyanson got two swinging strikeouts followed by a strike three from a pitch clock violation that was argued by Mississippi State’s head coach after the call. He argued that he called a timeout before the violation was issued but he was unsuccessful in his plea.
Eyanson returned to the mound in the fifth with 80 pitches behind him. He proceeded to record three more strikeouts while stranding two runners in scoring position.
Hernandez made it 2-1 after a leadoff home run to left field. LSU once again sputtered, ending the inning with sequential strikeouts.
Eyanson allowed a four-pitch walk in the top of the sixth and was then replaced by Casan Evans. Eyanson exited the game with 103 pitches and 12 strikeouts through five innings of work.
Evans surrendered just two hits in his extended four-inning appearance, also striking out six on the night.
His pressure was never alleviated with the offense going down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings.
Michael Braswell III and Derek Curiel notched hits in the eighth but did not bring in a run. Derek Curiel was able to move his on-base streak to 28 games with a single.
Eyanson and Evans combined for a late night series win. They collected an imposing 18 strikeouts combined.
The decision to pitch Evans not just on Saturday but for four innings was somewhat uncharacteristic but produced an uncharacteristic style of win.
Evans’ dominance was known but his success in such a long outing and the impressive five innings from Eyanson could be a long term recipe for success. Tomorrow’s outcome will define how possible this is moving forward.
The bats went 0-for-8 with two outs, 1-for-9 with runners on and 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. The arms saved the offense from a complete lack of timely hitting. The team struck out 11 times throughout the game.
While just seven hits and two runs is a disappointing outcome for this typically explosive order, the victory demonstrates a new way to win. The ability to put up double-digit runs one night and come out on top in a pitchers duel the next is promising versatility.
The bullpen remains rested for game three as Eyanson and Evans’ length, poise and into this game keeps the rest of the arms rested. Evans ends the night with six strikeouts through four innings of work.
The Tigers play Mississippi State for the last game of the series on March 29 at 6 p.m.
