STARKVILLE — Colton Ledbetter nodded to himself in the batter’s box when a borderline 3-0 pitch on the outside corner was called a strike.
The Mississippi State center fielder was close to being walked and forcing in a run, but given what happened next, perhaps Ledbetter was glad to have another chance.
“I liked the grand slam a little bit more than the walk,” Ledbetter said.
The Samford transfer crushed the very next pitch over the right-field stands, a game-breaking homer in the Bulldogs’ 16-3 victory over Arizona State on Sunday at Dudy Noble Field.
Mississippi State (5-3) finally put two good days of baseball together, winning back-to-back games for the first time this year and rebounding to take the series from the Sun Devils (5-2).
“There’s some confidence there for our guys,” MSU coach Chris Lemonis said.
Ledbetter’s grand slam was part of a six-run fourth inning that saw the Bulldogs blow the game open. Kellum Clark brought home the first tally on an infield single, and Bryce Chance roped a base hit into the outfield for another run before Ledbetter’s grand slam off reliever Matt Tieding.
The Bulldogs had 15 hits against Arizona State pitching, and they got things started early to win their second weekend series in as many tries.
Mississippi State loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning and scored all three runs, thanks to a pair of sacrifice flies and an RBI single by Hunter Hines.
Hines had a two-run homer in the seventh inning, and Lane Forsythe hit just his second career homer — a solo shot — in the sixth.
Freshman Ross Highfill roped a two-run double in the eighth inning.
The Bulldogs chased starter Timmy Manning after six runs in the third inning, and Arizona State used eight other pitchers to finish the contest. Tieding, Jesse Wainscott and Will Rogers — not the Mississippi State quarterback — were all charged with three or more earned runs in their relief outings.
MSU’s pitching, by contrast, was stellar. Memphis transfer Landon Gartman delivered another capable start, going five innings and allowing just two runs before turning things over to the bullpen.
Gartman was charged with one run on an attempted double steal in the first inning as Arizona State sent runners from first and third with two out. Ryan Campos crossed the plate before second baseman Amani Larry tagged out Ethan Long, giving the Sun Devils the lead.
Arizona State answered MSU’s three-run first inning with a solo homer by Luke Hill in the second, but it was as close as the Sun Devils got.
VCU transfer left-hander Tyler Davis pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh, rebounding from giving up four runs in two-thirds of an inning on Tuesday against Louisiana-Monroe. Davis allowed just one hit and struck out two batters Sunday.
“I saw the normal Tyler Davis,” Lemonis said. “That’s who he normally is. He just had a rough outing there in the middle.”
Former Northeast Mississippi Community College righty Colby Holcombe pitched around a solo homer in the eighth. Freshman Will Gibbs of Jackson Prep handled the ninth inning.
Mississippi State will take some momentum into a nonconference matchup with Southern Miss (5-2). The Bulldogs will face the Golden Eagles at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Trustmark Park in Pearl.
MSU will go into the game “with the same confidence, same swagger we’ve still got,” Ledbetter said. “Just keep playing ball like we know how to.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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