Bulldogs Drop Series Opener To LSU

Thursday, May 19

Starkville

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

33-20, 13-15

LSU

35-19, 12-16

LSU

Mississippi State

Bulldogs Drop Series Opener To LSU

May 19, 2011 | Baseball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's baseball team found the going rough Thursday night as the Diamond Dawgs dropped a 17-1 decision to LSU in the opening game of a Southeastern Conference weekend baseball series at Dudy Noble Field.

The Tigers broke a 1-1 tie with a pair of scores in the third inning. LSU would later remove all doubt with a 10-run sixth inning - the biggest inning allowed by the MSU pitching staff this season. From there, the Tigers cruised to a fourth straight victory in series openers against the Bulldogs.

With the victory, LSU improved to 35-19 overall and 12-16 in league play. Meanwhile, MSU lost a series opener for first time in three weeks, while falling to 33-20 and 13-15.

Elsewhere around the whacky SEC, things remained whacky Thursday night. With two days remaining in the regular season, Alabama now leads the Western Division with a 14-14 mark. MSU, Ole Miss, Auburn and Arkansas are all tied for second place in the division at 13-15. LSU remains in sixth place at 12-16. Four of the six Western Division teams will qualify for the eight-team SEC Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Hoover, Ala.

The Bulldogs can still qualify for Hoover for the first time since 2007 with two victories or one victory and a couple of other desired results around the league. LSU must win all three games in Starkville to keep any tournament hopes alive.

"We didn't have much energy tonight and that's disappointing," MSU head coach John Cohen said. "I know our guys though. We will have to shrug this one off and come back fighting tomorrow. I know we can put this one behind us and play like we have over the past 10 days.

LSU starter Kevin Gausman (5-6) found a rhythm Thursday night. Gausman worked 7.2 innings, allowing four hits and one run (earned), with seven strikeouts and one walk. Jimmy Dykstra completed the five-hitter for LSU by throwing the final 1.1 innings.

After LSU grabbed a 1-0 lead in its half of the second inning, the Bulldogs answered right back. In the home half of the second inning, Nick Vickerson reached as a hit batsman and Jaron Shepherd followed with a hit, sending Vickerson to third base. Brent Brownlee connected on a sacrifice bunt attempt, which brought Vickerson home.

An inning later, the Tigers took the lead for good on a two-run single by Mikie Mahtook. Mahtook also hit a two-run home run in a four-run fifth inning, as the Tigers sprinted to a 7-1 advantage.

That frame chased MSU starter Luis Pollorena. In his first career start at Dudy Noble, Pollorena (6-4) lasted 4.1 innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs (all earned), with one strikeout and two walks.

The fifth inning paled in comparison to the damage the Tigers would inflict one at-bat later. LSU sent 14 batters to the plate in the 10-run sixth inning.

The big blows in that at-bat were bases-clearing three-run doubles by both Mason Katz and Alex Edward. Mississippi native Jacoby Jones also slapped a two-run home run into the left field lounge.

Daryl Norris followed Tim Statz, Devin Jones and Andrew Busby to the mound and eventually got the Maroon and White out of the sixth inning. Norris was touched for the final two runs in the sixth inning but threw three scoreless frames the rest of the way.

Mahtook and Ty Ross each had three hits to pace LSU's 14-hit attack. Ralph Rymes, Jones and Katz each added two hits apiece. No Bulldog had multiple hits.

The series resumes at 6:30 p.m. Friday. MSU is scheduled to start junior left-hander Nick Routt (2-2, 3.86 ERA), while LSU is scheduled to start freshman right-hander Kurt McCune (7-3, 3.30). The Bulldog senior class will be honored in pregame activities Friday night. The series finale is at 2 p.m. Saturday.