STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State baseball team lost the West on walks.
After losing the first game of the three-game series to LSU on Thursday, MSU had to win the final two games of the three-game series to have a chance to win the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division.
But MSU learned Friday night walking 11 isn’t a recipe for success.
No. 5 LSU capitalized on that generosity for an 11-5 victory at Dudy Noble Field that helped it clinch the SEC West title outright.
“We have a bullpen full of guys that need to do a better job than they did tonight,” MSU coach Andy Cannizaro said. “Walks killed us. The inability to throw over the plate, the inability to locate fastballs, that’s what killed us. When we bring guys out of the bullpen, we talk all year about being ready, coming in, attacking the strike zone and the bottom half, and we didn’t do that.”
In the sixth inning, three consecutive bases-loaded walks pushed LSU’s lead to 8-5. MSU (34-21, 17-12 SEC) used four pitchers in the inning.
MSU starter Denver McQuary, responsible for five walks but none in the sixth, attributed his walks to a”lack of focus.”
“I think those three innings when I went nine up, nine down, I was focused every second, and if I missed a pitch, I took a second to regroup,” he said. “That’s what I wasn’t doing the first inning, and that’s why I kept getting behind.”
Despite the pitching staff’s struggles, MSU had 10 hits, which was just the second time in the last 14 games LSU has allowed 10 or more hits. Cannizaro’s decision to move second baseman Hunter Stovall from No. 9 to No. 5 in the lineup aided the attack. It was Stovall’s first time this season in a spot other than No. 9, and he responded with two hits, including a two-run single that tied the game in the fifth. The move came after MSU’s final five spots with Stovall at No. 9, went hitless in 12 at-bats Thursday. Behind Stovall on Friday, designated hitter Hunter Vansau was the only Bulldog to record a hit.
With the SEC West out of reach one day after losing a shot at the top seed in the conference, Cannizaro turned his source for motivation to sheer pride.
“We have to show those guys (LSU 38-17, 20-9) we’re not afraid of them,” Cannizaro said. “I never lose confidence in this team because we have played too well and exceeded everybody’s expectations around here, and two days and one rough night are not going to ruin that. Did we get our butts whipped? Yeah. That wasn’t a very good night. But you know what? We’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
n Ole Miss 8, No. 24 Auburn 4: At Auburn, Alabama, Tate Blackman went 4-for-5 Saturday, and Nick Fortes and Ryan Olenek had three hits to lead the Rebels (32-24, 14-16) past the Tigers (34-22, 16-14) in the regular-season finale for both teams at Plainsman Park.
In his 14th start, David Parkinson (6-3) went 4 2/3 innings and struck out eight, a new SEC high. After a 58-minute weather delay, the left-hander handed the ball to Will Stokes, who worked a season-high 4 1/3 innings and struck out a career-high five.
Trailing 1-0, Olenek tied the game with a double in the second inning.
Blackman continued the momentum into the third, smacking a triple to score Cooper Johnson. After a pitching change, Fortes followed with a single up the middle to record his 30th RBI to give the Rebels a 3-1 edge.
Auburn tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a two-run double by Josh Anthony.
In the fourth, Olenek hit his second double and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Cooper Johnson. Blackman and Fortes followed with hits and each picked up an RBI.
Auburn scored another run in the fifth to make it 6-4. With one out away from being able to call it an official game, the second weather delay of the series occurred. An hour later, Ole Miss returned to add one in the sixth and another in the ninth to clinch the victory.
Ole Miss will play a single-elimination game Tuesday at the Hoover Met. The time and opponent will be determined tonight. If the Rebels win Tuesday, they will play at least two more contests.
All conference tournament games will be televised on the SEC Network aside from the championship game, which will air live on ESPN2.
n On Friday, Auburn beat Ole Miss 9-1.
Ole Miss had seven hits, but Auburn freshman Davis Daniel (4-2) went 6 1/3 innings and didn’t allow a run for the fifth time this season.
Making his 10th start, Ryan Rolison (6-3) went 3 2/3 innings. The Tigers scored five runs off the left-hander, who suffered his first loss in his last three starts. Connor Green threw 3 1/3 innings of relief and allowed one hit and struck out a season-high five.
n Alabama 3, Vanderbilt 3: At Nashville, Tennessee, the Commodores tied the game in the bottom of the eighth Saturday before rain forced the game to end in a tie at Hawkins Field.
The result ended Alabama season at 19-34-1 and 5-24-1.
The Crimson Tide led 2-0 advantage after two innings before Vanderbilt scored its first run in the sixth. Both teams scored one apiece in the seventh with Vanderbilt tying the game on a balk in the bottom of the eighth. Following the final out of that eighth, the umpires cleared the field with the threat of a severe thunderstorm in the distance. The game was officially delayed at 3:56 p.m. before it was called a tie.
Garrett Suchey made his first career start and went a season-best 105 pitches. The junior allowed two runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out a season-high seven. Suchey gave up an RBI triple and then allowed a solo home run.
Chandler Taylor, Cody Henry, and Sam Finnerty went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Taylor hit his team-leading 16th home run. Henry and Finnerty had doubles, and Connor Short also doubled and had an RBI.
n On Friday, Vanderbilt routed Alabama 13-1.
Kyle Wright (4-5) went 7 1/3 innings and allowed five hits and issued one walk. He struck out 11.
Alabama starter Jake Walters (5-5) went four innings and took the loss.
Vanderbilt put together a big first inning for the second night in a row, plating eight runs on eight hits and two errors to take an 8-0 lead after an inning. A pair of Alabama errors in that first proved costly, as only two of the eight runs in the inning were earned.
Alabama scored one run in the top of the second to make it 8-1. Hunter Alexander singled with one down to give the Crimson Tide a baserunner and advanced to second on an infield groundout. With two outs, Alex Webb delivered an RBI double to left-center field.
Chandler Avant and Taylor had two hits.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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