It may have been at home against a South Carolina team that was reeling just as badly as Mississippi State was, but the Bulldogs have won a Southeastern Conference series for the first time this season.
Defensive miscues and an offense that went silent after the first inning cost MSU in Friday night’s 7-3 loss. The bats woke up in Saturday’s 11-4 victory, and Karson Ligon delivered his best start in a Bulldogs uniform to help MSU take the rubber game 6-0 on Sunday.
“It was probably our best day of the year,” Bulldogs head coach Chris Lemonis said after Sunday’s game. “Karson Ligon, unbelievable start, and then Stone (Simmons) stepped on top of it. We made some great plays. I’d call it timely hitting. A lot of times, we haven’t had that timely hitting. Today, I felt like once that (five-run fourth) inning got going, just guy after guy gave us a great at-bat.”
MSU can’t always count on Kohn
Bulldogs ace left-hander Pico Kohn certainly was not bad Friday, but he labored through some long plate appearances and was not as sharp as usual. The Gamecocks rallied for a two-out run in the first inning, and although Kohn settled down after that and got three runs of support in the bottom of the first, he allowed a game-tying two-run home run to Beau Hollins in the fourth.
Kohn’s day was done after five innings and 97 pitches. He allowed six hits and three walks, though he did have six strikeouts.
“It was not his best day,” Lemonis said. “It was more command. It wasn’t even the home run, it’s just commanding the off-speed and getting ahead. They ran his pitch count up there a little bit early.”
The three runs MSU (19-13, 3-9 SEC) scored in the first — on a Hunter Hines two-run double and a Bryce Chance RBI single — were not enough. Back-to-back errors from normally sure-handed shortstop Dylan Cupp gave South Carolina (19-14, 2-10) the lead in the sixth, and Hollins collected his fourth hit of the night with a two-run single in the ninth. Ben Davis took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing four runs (two earned) in four innings of relief.
Ligon delivers much-needed gem
After MSU hit five home runs in Saturday’s win, the Bulldogs sent Karson Ligon to the mound Sunday, and the former Miami transfer was badly in need of a strong outing. Following a rough start at Oklahoma, Ligon did not make it out of the first inning in his most recent appearance at LSU, allowing seven earned runs and recording just two outs.
But back in his home ballpark and facing an unranked opponent, Ligon was as sharp as ever. He allowed a leadoff single on the first pitch of the game, and that was the only hit South Carolina managed in six innings against him. Ligon struck out eight and walked just one, throwing a very efficient 74 pitches. Simmons was outstanding in relief, giving up one hit in three innings with five strikeouts.
In fact, MSU used just two pitchers in each of the three games. Chase Hungate was excellent in relief of Evan Siary in Saturday’s win.
“This week, I had all four pitches going, at least at some point during the game,” Ligon said. “Last week was pretty crazy, probably the craziest start I’ve ever had to a game. I just felt like I couldn’t get anything by them. Today was all different. I was getting everything by them.”
The Bulldogs’ offense broke through during its second trip through the order. Noah Sullivan led off the fourth with a solo homer, his second straight game with a long ball. Even with the bases still empty, the line kept on moving, with Gatlin Sanders and Dylan Cupp delivering RBI singles and Reed Stallman capping the five-run frame with a sacrifice fly. Chance hit a run-scoring double in the fifth for the final tally of the game.
MSU has a midweek game Tuesday evening at UAB, then makes the short trip to Tuscaloosa for a three-game series at No. 12 Alabama starting Friday.
“The kids really responded the last two days,” Lemonis said. “You have a tough night on Friday night. We kind of gave them some things in that game. They came in here Saturday morning, it was tough, and they really responded. Karson, after that outing last week, probably had the best outing he’s ever had this week. It just shows you how crazy sports are.”
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