Mississippi State will like to salvage a game today to wrap up the three-game series against Florida.
Steve Robertson
STARKVILLE - Mississippi State (23-16, 5-13 SEC) will take on Florida (27-14, 6-11 SEC) today at 2 PM CT. The game can be seen on ESPN 2 and streamed on the ESPN App. It can also be heard on the Bulldog Baseball radio network.
Today is a crucial game in the State season that has taken a stride backwards after two straight SEC weekend wins. The Bulldogs needed to take this one too, but have already surrended the series.
Florida took game one in a mercy ruling and then captured the series with an 11-8 result on Saturday. In both games, the Bulldogs squandered leads in the middle innings. The Bulldog bullpen has been a sore subject this weekend after putting together two strong SEC weekends against South Carolina and Alabama.
Following today's game, Mississippi State will return to action on Tuesday against Ole Miss in the annual Governor's Cup Game at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi. The Rebels dropped the weekend to South Carolina in Columbia this week.
Today, Mississippi State will send RHP Karson Ligon (3-4, 5.13 ERA) to the mound today. He has worked 33.1 innings allowing 19 earned runs on 29 hits. Ligon has struck out 43 and walked just 12. Opponents are hitting .232 against him.
Florida will send out RHP Luke McNeillie (3-1, 4.24 ERA). It will be his second start of the year and has worked primarily as a reliever. He has worked 34 inning allowing 16 earned runs on 21 hits. He has struck out 47 and walked 17. Opponents are are hitting .183 against him.
Mississippi State line-up
1. Gehrig Frei LF
2. Sawyer Reeves SS
3. Ace Reese 3B
4. Noah Sullivan DH
5. Hunter Hines 1B
6. Reed Stallman RF
7. Bryce Chance CF
8. Gatlin Sanders 2B
9. Joe Powell C
Florida line-up:
1. Bobby Boser 3B
2. Colby Shelton SS
3. Brendan Lawson 1B
4. Luke Heyman C
5. Blake Cyr LF
6. Brody Donay DH
7. Hayden Yost CF
8. Ashton Wilson RF
9. Justin Nadeau 2B
1st inning
Top 1st:
1. Boser and he's hit by the first pitch.
2. Shelton fastball issues 1-0, breaker catches the inside corner 1-1, foul top down 1-2, two-run shot to left 2-0 UF
3. Lawson fastball misses just in 1-0, swing and a miss 1-1, rolled out to second, one down.
4. Heyman takes a fastball up, ground double into the left center field gap.
5. Cyr breaker hits the top of the zone 0-1, slider down 1-1, swing and a miss 1-2, slider down and away 2-2, yanked foul, takes change for the strike, K, two down
6. Donay swings over the change 0-1, swings over the slider 0-2, fastball up 1-2, pulled foul, hard shot to short, Reeves knocks it down, throw to first not in time. hit
7. Yost fouled into the LF berm, rolled out to second, side retired.
2-0 UF
Bottom 1st:
1. Frei ball down 1-0, takes the change up for strike one 1-1, slider away 2-1, fouled back 2-2, takes strike three, K, one down.
2. Reeves slider down and away 1-0, fastball low 2-0, shot out to the RF berm foul 2-1, pop up to center, everybody runs, but it's down after a diving attempt from the CF.
3. Reese change up in there for strike one 0-1, two-run shot to left center and we are tied.
4. Sullivan takes strike one 0-1, swing and miss at the slider down and away 0-2, takes strike three K, two down
5. Hines strike one called 0-1, fouled back 0-2, swing and a miss K, inning over
2-2
2nd inning
Top 2nd:
1. Boser slider away 1-0, takes strike one 1-1, fastball down 2-1, fouled back 2-2, rolled out to short, one down.
2. Shelton ball one 1-0, lined up the middle for a single.
3. Lawson runner bluffs strike taken 0-1, swing and a miss 0-2, slider misses just off the plate 1-2, hit like a bullet back toward the middle. Reeves lays out and makes the stop, runner forced at second, throw to first not in time, no shot, but great play
4. Shelton ball down, runner goes and Powell throws him out, side retired.
2-2
Bottom 2nd:
6. Stallman takes strike one 0-1, hit by the pitch
7. Chance and he too is hit by the pitch.
8. Sanders shows bunt and misses 0-1, fastball away 1-1, bunt pulled back, but the third base ump said it was a strike on appeal 1-2, fouled away, swing and a miss, wasted AB there. one down
9. Powell singled into left to load the bases.
1. Frei swings over the slider 0-1, fouled out to play 0-2, slider down and in 1-2, swing and a miss at the heater up, K, two down
2. Reeves takes strike one 0-1, takes strike two 0-2, slider away 1-2, fouled back, ball down in the dirt 2-2, fastball down to run it full, slider ripped foul, fouled back, swing and a miss on the slider and State leaves them loaded.
2-2
3rd inning
Top 3rd:
2. Shelton ball one down 1-0, fouled back 1-1, slider down 2-1, fouled back 2-2, change up down to run it full takes strike three, K, one down.
3. Lawson pulled foul 0-1, breaker misses in 1-1, swing and a miss 1-2, fouled down, check swing no 2-2, rolled out to short, two down.
4. Heyman pulled foul outside of third 0-1 change stays up 1-1, fouled back 1-2, fastball away 2-2, fastball away to run it full. fouled away fastball in for the walk. two out walks are of the devil.
5. Cyr takes strike one 0-1, awkward swing over the slider 0-2, looked like strike three, might have been a little outside, swing and a miss, K side retired.
2-2
Bottom 3rd:
3. Reese singled into right center
4. Sullivan slider down and away 1-0, swing and a miss 1-1, flared into right for a single. Reese stops at second.
5. Hines slider down and in 1-0, slider down 2-0, long fly ball to center, Reese tags and takes third, one down
6. Stallman takes strike one 0-1, fouled down 0-2, fastball up 1-2, fastball up again 2-2, fly out to right center, RBI 3-2 State
7. Chance balk sends a runner to second, ball up 1-0, fouled into the RF berm 1-1, singled into left, run scores 4-2 State
8. Sanders takes ball one and he's hit by the pitch. third of the game.
9. Powell takes strike one 0-1 three-run shot to left, 7-2 State
1. Frei will see RHP Jackson Barberi swing and a miss as his elbow pad goes flying 0-1, single off the glove of the first baseman
2. Reeves change up away lands for strike one 0-1, fastball away 1-1, fouled away 1-2, soft liner out to first, inning over.
7-2 State
4th inning
Top 4th:
6. Donay swing and a miss 0-1 slider down and away 1-1 swings over the change 1-2 swings over another K, one down
7. Yost strike one called 0-1 fouled out of play 0-2 tapped out toward the line Powell is right on it, fields it in fair ground and throws him, out, home plate umpire says it was foul, wow, ball down 1-2, pop up toward second and it's lost in the sun, single.
8. Wilson fouled away 0-1, slider down and away 1-1, runner goes, pitch was a strike, stolen base, 1-2, wild pitch allows the runner to move up 2-2, pulled foul, ground out to short, nice play, thrown out at first, run scoes, they will review the play at first. replay here shows is out. He is indeed. two down
9. Nadeau ball down 1-0, ball up 2-0 takes strike one 2-1, takes a ball down 3-1, tapped into the Florida dugout to run it full. ball up for the walk. two out walks are of the devil.
1. Boser fastball up 1-0, strike one called 1-1, fouled into the RF berm 1-2, runner goes, singled into left, but he holds up at second. mound visit.
2. Shelton fastball in there at 97 0-1, diving grab by Frei saves a run and retires the side.
7-3 State
Bottom 4th:
3. Reese takes ball one grounded to third one down
4. Sullivan ball down 1-0, ball down 2-0, strike one called, grounded out to third, two down
5. Hines ball down 1-0, ball down 2-0, ball away 3-0, fouled back 3-1 ball away for the walk
6. Stallman ball up 1-0 mound visit strike one called and it was a gift 1-1, fouled the heater straight back 1-2, ripped into right center passed the diving second baseman. runner takes third.
7. Chance strike one, 0-1, ball down 1-1, swing and a miss ball gets loose, run scores 8-3 State. popped up to short right, inning over
8-3 State
5th inning
Top 5th:
3. Lawson triples of the wall in center, throw to third gets loose, E6 run scores
4. Heyman flies out to left, one down
5. Cyr ball down, grounded out to short, two down.
6. Donay home run to right, 8-5 State
7. Yost takes strike one, grounds to Hines who pitches to Ligon who covers, side retired
8-5 State
Bottom 5th:
8. Sanders fouled out of play 0-1, fly out to left, one down
9. Powell ball away 1-0, strike one, pop up to center, two down.
1. Frei fastball down 1-0, slider down 2-0, solo shot to left 9-5 State
2. Reeves takes ball one fouled back 1-1, fouled back 1-2, line out to center, inning over.
9-5 State
6th inning
Top 6th
Ben Davis is the new Bulldog pitcher
8. Wilson ball away 1-0, tapped foul 1-1, lined out to right, one down.
9. Nadeau tapped foul 0-1, hard grounder to short and Reeves makes a nice play, out at first. two down.
1. Boser fouled away 0-1, down 1-1, fouled away 1-2, swing and a miss K, side retired
9-5 State
Bottom 6th:
New pitcher is LHP McCall Biemiller
3. Reese ball down 1-0, ball down 2-0, rolled back toward the middle, he beats it out, single
4. Sullivan takes strike one, ball down 1-1, grounded to short, runner forced at second, one down on the fielder's choice.
5. Hines rolled into the 4-6-3 double play.
9-5 State
7th inning
Top 7th
2. Shelton takes ball one 1-0, breaker in there for strike one 1-1, ball in 2-1, ball up 3-1, fastball fouled away to run it full fouled back, fly out to left, one down.
3. Lawson lined into right for a single.
4. Heyman singled into left.
5. Cyr fouled away, 0-1, swings over the slider 0-2, slider away 1-2, fouled down, rolled up the 6-4-3 double play and that's winning baseball.
9-5 State
Bottom 7th:
6. Stallman ball down and away 1-0, change up low 2-0, fastball down and away 3-0, takes strike one 3-1, fouled back 3-2, swing and a miss K, one down.
7. Chance fouled back 0-1, ball up 1-1, ball up 2-1, change up away 3-1, ball up for the walk.
8. Sanders takes strike one 0-1 lined into the LF berm 0-2 ball down 1-2, Chance reads it in the dirt and takes off to take second, 2-2 count. swings and misses, K, two down
9. Powell will see Billy Barlow takes strike one 0-1, ball up 1-1, swings over a change that was telegraphed. 1-2, slider down and away 2-2, fouled away, swing and a miss over a slider down and away.
9-5 State
8th inning
Top 8th:
6. Donay ball down 1-0, grounded to short, one down.
7. Yost ball down 1-0, fouled down 1-1, ball down and away 2-1, ball up 3-1, ball away for the walk. Mound visit.
8. Wilson ball down 1-0, two-run shot to left, 9-7 and that will be all for Davis. New pitcher is Nate Williams
9. Nadeau ball up 1-0, fouled away 1-1, solo shot to right. 9-8 State
1. Boser takes strike one 0-1, breaker fouled back 0-2, change up in the dirt 1-2, breaker up 2-2, change up down and away to fun it full, called strike three, K, two down.
2. Shelton hit by the pitch after it bounces in the dirt.
3. Lawson strike one called 0-1 fastball down 1-1, fastball away 2-1, fouled back 2-2, wild pitch, throw down, he's safe, full count. swing and a miss K, side retired.
9-8 State
Bottom 8th:
1. Frei swing and a miss 0-1, ball down 1-1, ball down an in 2-1, swing and a miss over a ball down 2-2, solo shot to right. 10- 8 State
2. Reeves strike one 0-1, ball down 1-1, ball down 2-1, fouled down 2-2, capped foul, K looking, one down.
3. Sullivan fouled off the left side 0-1, fouled back 0-2, fastball up 1-2, telegraphs the change and Reese takes it for a ball low 2-2, singled back up the middle.
4. Sullivan ball down and in 1-0, ball in 2-0, fouled back 2-1, lunged at the change and fouled it off, fouled away, fly out to right center, two down
5. Hines singled into right and Reese takes third on the play
6. Stallman will be intentionally walked to load the bases
7. Chance ball up and away 1-0, slider down and away 2-0, takes a change for strike one 2-1, singled it back up the middle two runs score 12-8 State
8. Sanders lined hard into the right center field gap, he can't make the play, two more runs are home 14-8 State
9. Powell takes ball one 1-0, strike one 1-1, swing and a miss 1-2, slider misses down and away 2-2 pulled foul, ball up and away to run it full. fouled out of play. rolled out to short and he plays it clean to first. inning over.
14-8 State
9th inning
Top 9th:
Stone Simmons comes on. Michael O'Brien takes over in center, Chance slides over to left.
4. Heyman ground ball to deep short, but Reeves gets him one down
5. PH Stripling ball down 1-0, ball away 2-0, ball up 3-0, same pitch, walk.
6. Donay check swing, he clearly went and they say he didn't. thought we were already to go home, 1-0, ball up 2-0, swinging for the fences, misses 2-1, throws the heater by him again 2-2, fly ball to right center, two down.
7. Yost swing and a miss 0-1, singled into left.
8. Wilson strike one called, swings over the breaker 0-2, rythmic applause abounds, ball down and away 1-2, a dying quail to right and Sanders makes a diving catch to end it.
14-8 State
