(Photo Credit: @LSUbaseball on X)
By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
For the better part of two months, the LSU offense has allowed its pitching to grow up and search for roles.
Friday night into Saturday morning, it was the Tiger pitching’s turn to shoulder the load.
Anthony Eyanson and Casan Evans did it in style, striking out 18 Mississippi State Bulldogs over nine one-run innings to secure a 2-1 battle and take the first two games of the series.
State threatened, putting a runner in scoring position in the second, third, fourth, fifth, six and eighth innings. Only in the fourth was State able to cash in, and even that was a struggle for the visitors from Starkville.
Ace Reese singled to open the inning of Eyanson, and Noah Sullivan drew a nine-pitch walk to put runners at first and second. After Hunter Hines poked a single through the left side, State had the bases loaded with no one out in a 1-0 game.
Eyanson and catcher Luis Hernandez weren’t on the same page three pitches later, and a called strike went all the way to the backstop to plate the tying run. It was ruled a passed ball, but Hernandez was caught off guard by the delivery. Eyanson struck out three in a row after that to limit the damage. The last strikeout came via pitch clock violation on Dylan Cupp. LSU head coach Jay Johnson leapt out of the Tiger dugout to point it out, and the call was made.
It was that kind of night after a 2:35 rain delay.
Mississippi State was 4-for-20 with runners on base, 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position (neither hit drove in a run) and 0-for-3 getting runners home from third base with less than two outs.
The Bulldogs stranded 12 men.
Some of that was great pitching by the Tigers. Some of it was the lack of execution that has plagued Mississippi State all year.
Perhaps the biggest spot in the game came in the eighth when Evans issued a leadoff walk and two-out single to left after a pair of strikeouts. When he walked Cupp to load the bases, Hernandez and the entire Tiger infield came to the mound to chat with the freshman closer.
Evans respond by pumping in a pair of strikes to Ross Highfill to make it 0-2, and on 1-2 he got a whiff with his slider to skirt the jam.
In their final at bat, State managed a two out single to put the tying run on base. Sullivan scorched a deep shot to center that chased Chris Stanfield all the way to the wall, but the park held it for the final out.
LSU’s offense didn’t have much luck against State ace Pico Kohn. He struck out eight and didn’t walk a man in five frames. However, two of LSU’s five hits were solo homers, one by Ethan Frey in the second and one by Hernandez in the fifth. That was all the Tigers needed.
LSU improved to 6-2 in SEC play. Mississippi State is 1-7.
THE SCORECARD
Anthony Eyanson’s line: 5IP, 5H, 1R, 0ER, 3BB, 12K, 103 pitches, 66 strikes
Casan Evans’s line: 4IP, 2H, 0R, 3BB, 6K, 72 pitches, 43 strikes
Eight of LSU’s nine starters struck out at least once.
State had 20 (4 hits) at bats with runners on base. LSU had nine (one hit).
State had 14 (2 hits) at bats with runners in scoring position. LSU had four (no hits).
Five State hitters struck out multiple times.
LSU has struck out 30 Bulldogs hitters in two games. Friday’s 18 strikeouts was State’s highest total of the season.
WHAT’S NEXT?
LSU and Mississippi State will continue to dry to dodge south Louisiana spring showers on Saturday. The game initially set for 2:00 will now begin at 6:00.
LSU will send sophomore right hander Chase Shores (4-1, 4.88ERA) to the mound. State will counter with right hander Karson Ligon (2-3, 4.76ERA).
The Tigers have a bullpen loaded with available arms but will have to navigate the series finale without Zac Cowan and Evans who were exceptional in closing out games one and two.
