STARKVILLE — Mississippi State was back in the game.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning Saturday against No. 24 Long Beach State, the Bulldogs struck for their first two runs of the season in the bottom half of the frame.

Then starter KC Hunt issued a leadoff walk, and the Dirtbags put together a three-run second inning.

The same thing happened after MSU made it a 4-3 game in the third: Hunt gave LBSU catcher Connor Burns a free pass on just four pitches. The Dirtbags scored four runs in the inning, pulling away.

“That was what was frustrating today: We scored, and then we came out and walked a guy, and then we scored, and then we came out and walked a guy,” Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis said.

Those frustrating walks — and plenty of hits — doomed the fourth-ranked Bulldogs (0-2) in a 13-3 defeat, MSU’s second straight loss to the Dirtbags (2-0) in the opening series of the 2022 season.

“It’s hard to win when you don’t throw strikes,” Lemonis said.

Mississippi State pitchers walked eight Long Beach State hitters, with every Bulldogs hurler issuing at least one free pass. The Dirtbags proved themselves worthy of their No. 24 ranking by D1Baseball.com — and perhaps more — by slugging three home runs and two doubles among their 14 hits.

Lemonis told his team in the dugout LBSU could be anywhere from top five to top 15 in the country, saying the Dirtbags were likely to earn an NCAA tournament bid.

“I think they’re a really good team,” third baseman Kamren James said. “I definitely think 24 is too low.”

Mississippi State was again unable to prove otherwise as the Bulldogs’ offense struggled for the second straight game. With nine hits, MSU did far better than its zero-run, one-hit performance Friday but left eight runners on base and failed to score after the third inning.

The Bulldogs had just three hits in the game’s last six innings, stranding leadoff hits in the fourth, fifth and sixth. Lemonis and James both credited Long Beach State reliever Jack Noble, who came in with runners on the corners in the third inning, for his performance.

Noble struck out Brad Cumbest to escape the jam and pitched through the seventh inning, allowing just the three hits and striking out six Bulldogs. Offering a slower velocity than that of starter Marques Jackson, Noble used an effective change-up to left-handers and right-handers alike.

“I think Jack Noble just did a great job,” James said. “He just kept us off balance. I thought we competed well; I just thought he may have outpitched us.”

Mississippi State starter KC Hunt, according to Lemonis, was “just OK” in his outing of three-plus innings. Hunt allowed five runs on six hits, walking two and striking out four.

It wasn’t what the Bulldogs expected from the New Jersey native, who starred in both fall and spring practice and earned his spot in the weekend rotation.
“He’s been a lot better against us,” Lemonis said. “I wish he had pitched like he did against us.”

Lefty reliever Cam Tullar fared no better, even against a Long Beach State lineup Lemonis said featured several players with poor splits against lefties. Tullar allowed three runs in an inning of work before righty Preston Johnson proved more effective, going four innings with just one run allowed.

Long Beach State added four runs in the ninth inning against freshman Jack Walker, including a two-run home run by Jonathon Long, who homered in both of his final two plate appearances.

Long’s second blast into the right-field stands put the capper on Mississippi State’s first home nonconference series loss under Lemonis, now in his fourth year as the Bulldogs’ head coach. MSU hadn’t lost at home by 10 runs since April 13, 2014, against Ole Miss.

“We just haven’t played great,” Lemonis said. “To beat good teams in this league and the schedule that we play, we have to play better.”

Lemonis hopes that starts at 1 p.m. Sunday as Mississippi State sends sophomore Cade Smith to the mound as the Bulldogs look to avoid a season-opening sweep.

“He’s shown good stuff, three pitches for strikes, so I’m hoping he goes out there and gets us going on the right track,” Lemonis said. “We need to get out there and have some momentum.”

Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.