BATON ROUGE, La. – Mississippi State broke a 13-13 tie in the top of the 10th inning on an RBI fielder’s choice by centerfielder Colton Ledbetter, as the Bulldogs secured a 14-13 victory over second-ranked LSU Sunday afternoon inside Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
With the win, MSU improved to 26-24 on the season and 8-19 in league play, while the Tigers dropped to 39-12 on the year and 17-9 in the SEC.
The final midweek game of LSU’s regular season is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT when the Tigers take on McNeese. The contest will be streamed on SEC Network+, and it will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network.
“We gave up a big lead, so the loss is hard to swallow right now,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said after Sunday’s game. “Our players competed very hard; we’ve just got to help them be better.
“It stings right now, but we have an opportunity to move forward. We’re going to play in the postseason, so we’ve got to spend now until that time to get as ready as we possibly can. I trust that our players and our staff will work hard to do that.”
Bulldog reliever Aaron Nixon (2-1) earned the win after tossing 2.0 scoreless innings. LSU left-hander Riley Cooper (3-3) was charged with the loss after firing 2.2 innings and allowing one run on three hits.
LSU right fielder Brayden Jobert got the Tigers on the board first with his eighth homer of the season in the bottom of the second inning. The frame began with a walk from designated hitter Cade Beloso and a single from catcher Hayden Travinski before Jobert deposited a 2-2 pitch over the wall.
Mississippi State scratched one across in the third with an RBI double from left fielder Dakota Jordan.
LSU’s Tre’ Morgan responded in the bottom half with a solo shot to right field to make it a three-run game again. Following the dinger from Morgan, centerfielder Dylan Crews reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Third baseman Tommy White drove in Crews with an RBI double to the left-center field gap.
The Tigers led 5-1 after three innings.
The Bulldogs struck for three runs in the top of the fourth to bring themselves within one on the strength of an RBI double and RBI single. MSU put its third run of the inning on the board via a balk call.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, LSU scored five runs on three hits to make the score 10-4. The frame began with a single from shortstop Jordan Thompson and base-on-balls from right fielder Josh Pearson. The first run crossed after a throwing error from Bulldog third baseman Slate Alford. With two runners in scoring position, Crews drove in the Tigers’ seventh run of the afternoon.
Mississippi State decided to intentionally walk White before Beloso came up to bat and reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Dugas. The five-run inning was capped by Jobert’s two-RBI single up the middle. The Tigers increased their lead to 13-4 in the fifth with Morgan’s second dinger of the day and an RBI single from Travinski.
Morgan’s two homers on the day mark the first time he has hit two in a single game during his collegiate career.
The Bulldogs shortened their deficit in the sixth, striking for four runs, which was anchored by Jordan’s three-run shot. Mississippi State tied the game in the seventh with a five-run frame with a two-RBI double, RBI single, and a two-run homer.
{Courtesy: LSU Athletics}
