By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
STARKVILLE, Miss. — You wonder how many punches these Tigers can take.
Friday’s was brutal. Saturday’s stung just a badly. Mississippi erased a 7-2 LSU lead with five in the seventh, tallied two more in the eighth and beat LSU 9-8 to take the series. The Tigers have lost eight straight league loss for the first time in over 40 years.
Ethan Plog allowed a pair of State singles to open the seventh. Connor Benge entered and allowed a single and then walked in a run to make it 7-3. Cooper Williams hung a 2-0 breaking ball, and Justin Parker whipped more than 15,000 State fans into a frenzy with a whistling grand slam to right field that knotted the score.
State scored the difference makers in the eighth thanks to Reed Stallman’s leadoff pinch-hit double to right. Grant Fontenot walked Gehrig Frei to put runners at first and second. Noah Sullivan’s blistering RBI single to center gave the Bulldogs the lead. Then, Tanner Reaves misplayed chopper to plate another.
LSU couldn’t muster anything off sensational State freshman Jack Bauer who handcuffed the Tigers over 3.2 innings, his longest in Starkville. Omar Serna’s solo shot in the ninth chased Bauer, and Maddux Webb recorded the final two outs to slam the door and leave the tying run at first base.
It was another great early effort from the LSU offense.
Cade Arrambide’s opposite field blast in the first capped a three-run frame. State would answer with a solo shot by Ace Reese in the bottom half and another single run in the fourth on a Aiden Teel RBI double off William Schmidt.
The Tigers took control in the fifth with four runs on three hits. Arrambide hooked an RBI double into the left field corner to score Curiel, and then Eddie Yamin launched an opposite field three-run shot to right that made it 7-2 Tigers.
It wasn’t enough.
You saw the trickle down effect of Friday’s bullpen usage on Saturday night. The late innings probably would have been a good spot for Deven Sheerin, but he was called on in the fourth inning of Friday’s game.
Schmidt did an admirable job early, but he was only able to provide four innings of work. That put the onus on the bullpen which faltered.
THE SCORECARD
Jack Bauer: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Cade Arrambide: 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
Omar Serna: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R
LSU outhit State 11-to-9
LSU made three errors
LSU pitching issued seven walks. State walked three.
WHAT’S NEXT
The series finale is Sunday at 1:00. State has announced southpaw Charlie Foster is its starter. LSU will have to evaluate options. Jaden Noot could be an option as he has not yet pitched this weekend.
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