STARKVILLE — For the first 13 games of the season, it was nearly impossible to find a weakness in Mississippi State’s baseball team.
Now it’s impossible to ignore them.
Seven days after cruising past Samford to win its 13th-consecutive game to open the season, No. 8 MSU is reeling after losing three of four games. The first loss was a 3-2 setback to Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday. The second was a 2-1 loss to San Diego on Friday. The third was a 9-6 loss to San Diego on Sunday, a game MSU led 5-0.
“We have to get better,” said MSU senior shortstop Seth Heck, who had three hits and an RBI Sunday. “Offensively, we didn’t finish. We’d get runners on and couldn’t get him in. On the mound, it was the same thing. We had chances to get out of innings but we didn’t.”
In the first 13 games, MSU (14-3) outscored opponents 115-34 and had one game that featured a margin of victory less than three runs.
But issues started to surface with the first loss Tuesday and continued through the weekend. The Bulldogs were held scoreless for 12 innings by UAPB and San Diego. On Friday, catcher Josh Lovelady also couldn’t catch two breaking balls by starting pitcher Preston Brown that led to both San Diego runs in a 2-1 loss.
On Sunday, MSU’s normally reliable bullpen, which had given up 10 runs in the first 16 games, allowed seven runs in the final two innings. That performance helped San Diego erase a five-run deficit and escape Starkville with a series victory. The Toreros (6-7) hadn’t scored more than six runs in a game this season.
“The last four years we’ve done a pretty good job with the lead late in the game. We just didn’t do a good job today,” MSU coach John Cohen said. “That’s something we’ve got to improve on. I’m counting 11 three-ball counts, I’m counting six walks, I’m counting the hit-by-pitch. We’re just giving them opportunity after opportunity.”
MSU’s relief pitchers allowed seven hits and walked five in San Diego’s rally. The Toreros scored four runs in the eighth inning to tie the game and added three in the ninth to seal the deal.
Senior long reliever Ross Mitchell and senior closer Trevor Fitts were two of seven pitchers who follow starter Vance Tatum. Mitchell, who has 27 career wins, threw 23 of 49 pitches for balls. The left-hander gave up three-straight singles to open the eighth and walked a run in before Fitts came on. Fitts, who has assumed the role of closer after the departure of Jonathan Holder, walked in the tying run with two outs in the top of the eighth. Against UAPB on Tuesday, Fitts walked in the winning run.
“When you have a lead, you just have to throw strikes and we didn’t do it,” Cohen said. “I think our bullpen guys need to come in and throw more strike. I think we’ve got a ton of areas to improve in, but I don’t think there’s any team in our league who would say anything different.”
MSU also hasn’t hit a home run in 10 games. The offense, which averaged 8.8 runs per in the first 13 games, scored 13 runs in the past four games. MSU had one extra-base hit on the weekend, a double by right fielder Cody Brown on Saturday. On Sunday, MSU struck out 11 times.
“We strike them out twice and we strike out 11 times,” Cohen said. “You’re not going to win a lot of games like that.”
In the Bulldogs’ three losses, MSU hitters are striking out an average of 9.3 times per game, as opposed to 5.4 per game in the team’s wins.
The recent troubles come with games against Western Kentucky on tap for Tuesday and Wednesday and a three-game series against Alabama to open Southeastern Conference play set to begin Friday.
“There’s been times we haven’t executed the way we wanted, didn’t finish the way we wanted,” Heck said. “But that’s the game of baseball. That happens sometimes and we have the opportunity to fight our way out of it. Everybody is excited to get to SEC play.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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