STARKVILLE, Miss. — LSU broke a 1-1 tie by scoring six runs in the third inning, then used key defensive plays later in the game to preserve that lead as the Tigers downed Mississippi State, 9-1, to open a three-game Southeastern Conference series here Friday night at Dudy Noble Field.
The sixth-ranked Tigers (18-6-1, 5-2 SEC) and Bulldogs (12-8, 4-3) resume their series Saturday afternoon at 3:15 p.m. The game will be televised live regionally by SEC-TV and Fox Sports Net, and can be seen in Baton Rouge on Fox Sports Southwest (Cable Ch. 26). Weather, however, may throw a wrench into those plans, as a 70 percent chance of rain is forecast for the area on Saturday.
The series finale is set for 1:30 p.m. Sunday, and that will be televised by the Guaranty Sports Network and on Cable Ch. 10 in Baton Rouge.
LSU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first. Ryan Theriot led off the game by walking on four pitches, and after Mike Fontenot singled, Theriot was caught stealing at third on a double steal. Thus, Wally Pontiff’s single was able to score just one run instead of two, and the inning ended one batter later when Todd Linden grounded into a double play.
State answered in the second, as Pontiff’s throwing error allowed Jason Burkley to reach, and back-to-back singles by Josh West and Jon Knott got Burkley home.
LSU would take the lead in the third on only one hit, and that was Sean Barker’s leadoff single. David Raymer was then hit by a Joey Collums pitch, and after a wild pitch moved the runners up one base, Theriot drew a walk to load the bases. Collums then uncorked a second wild pitch to send Barker home, and then a passed ball by Burkley scored Raymer to make it 3-1.
Collums then plunked Fontenot and allowed an RBI single to Pontiff, who would get three hits on the night, to make it 4-1 and drive the Bulldogs’ starting pitcher from the game, as the southpaw lasted just two innings and gave up six runs (all earned on five hits).
Reliever Adam Larson was greeted by a three-run homer by Linden, whose blast went into the barbecue pits behind the right-center field fence. Larson finally settled down and retired the side and pitched two scoreless innings before giving up a run in the sixth on an RBI double by Zeph Zinsman.
State’s next threat came in the sixth, as the Bulldogs loaded the bases with only one out, but had the rally cut off when Matthew Brinson grounded into an inning-ending double play.
The Tigers would face the identical situation in the seventh, as Bo Pettit walked Michael Brown, gave up a single to Steve Gendron and walked Phillip Willingham before yielding to reliever Roy Corcroan, who got of the jam by inducing a double-play grounder from Matt Maniscalco, the second of three the Tigers would turn on the night.
Pettit, a sophomore from Houston who is battling back from off-season injuries, turned in his best effort of the season, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing just one unearned run on six hits to improve to 3-0 on the year.