Mississippi State baseball breaks LSU’s heart again, takes series with gutsy comeback
By David Wasson
Published:
The Mississippi State baseball team continued its torrid streak Saturday, downing the reeling LSU Tigers 9-8 in front of 15,289 at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville.
Mississippi State (33-10 overall, 12-8 SEC) utilized a five-run seventh inning to win its seventh straight game. LSU (24-20, 6-14) lost its eighth straight SEC contest. Mississippi State can sweep the series by winning Sunday’s final game (2 pm ET, SEC Network+).
The third largest on-campus crowd in NCAA baseball history witnessed a back-and-forth affair that saw the Bulldogs rally with five runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie it and then score two more in the eighth to take the lead.
After Blake Bevis drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh that made it 7-3, Jacob Parker cranked a grand slam to right field to send the home faithful into hysterics and tie the game at 7-7.
Mississippi State then took the lead for good in the eighth via a Noah Sullivan RBI single and an LSU fielding error. The Tigers tried to rally in the ninth when Omar Serna Jr. hit a solo homer but could get no closer.
Ace Reese went 2-for-4 with a homer and two runs scored and Sullivan went 2-for-5 for Mississippi State. Serna went 3-for-5 with a solo homer to lead LSU, with Cade Arrambide also hitting a solo homer.
Jack Bauer (3-0) earned the victory, while Grant Fontenot (0-1) took the loss. Maddox Webb earned his third save.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
