GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
No. 5 LSU and Mississippi State went head-to-head with March Madness on national television on Thursday night and delivered a closer and more dramatic game. The No. 5 Tigers came back from a four-run deficit for an 8-6 win over Mississippi State at Alex Box Stadium on the SEC Network.
“Why would you watch a Sweet 16 basketball game when you can watch LSU play baseball?” LSU coach Jay Johnson asked on Wednesday.
He was joking around, but in the end, he had a point. No. 2 seed Alabama beat No. 6 seed BYU easily, 113-88, on CBS in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 round, and No. 1 seed Florida had no trouble with No. 4 seed Maryland in an 87-71 win on TBS, while LSU was playing.
LSU second baseman Daniel Dickinson provided the critical 3-pointer, if you will, with a three-run home run to left field off State starter Ryan McPherson in the fifth to get the Tigers within 6-5 with his seventh home run of the season. Josh Pearson then greeted reliever Dane Burns with a single, and Steven Milam put LSU ahead to stay at 7-6 with a two-run home run to left field for his sixth.
The Tigers (23-3, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) made it 8-6 in the eighth when Tanner Reaves singled to lead off and later scored on a wild pitch.
“Proud of the team,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “You know one of our sayings is, ‘There’s no clock in baseball.’ And good thing for tonight. Down 3-0, 4-1, 5-2, 6-2, and guys just kind of stayed with it.”
Mississippi State (16-10, 1-6 SEC) had taken a 6-2 lead by scoring two in the first on a two-run home run by Ace Reece off LSU starter Kade Anderson and one in every inning from the second through the fifth. Joe Powell homered in the second for a 3-0 lead.
LSU cut it to 3-1 in the second when Jake Brown singled and later scored on a double steal. Hunter Hines homered for State in the third for a 4-1 lead.
The Tigers cut it to 4-2 in the third on Deriek Curiel’s home run. Powell’s sacrifice fly in the fourth put the Bulldogs up 5-2, and they took a 6-2 lead in the fifth on Nolan Stevens’ RBI double off reliever Connor Benge.
JAY JOHNSON HAS SOME PITCHING DECISIONS TO MAKE
Reliever Zac Cowan continued to be one of the Tigers’ best pitchers as he finally shut down State’s scoring after entering to start the sixth inning. He proceeded to one-hit and shut out the Bulldogs over four innings with zero walks and seven strikeouts.
Connor Benge (1-1) got the win, though, as he was the pitcher of record when the Tigers took the 7-6 lead in the fifth. He allowed one run on one hit with two walks and zero strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning. Anderson got a no-decision, allowing five runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Burns (1-1) took the loss.
“Turned it over to Zac, and Zac just did what he does,” Johnson said.
LSU and State play at 6:30 p.m. Friday, but rain is in the forecast. Tiger Rag will have any game time changes or postponement as they happen.
Junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson (3-0, 4.50 ERA) will start for the Tigers against State senior ace left-hander Pico Kohn (4-0, 2.52 ERA). Kohn has struck out 53 in 35 and two-thirds innings with seven walks.
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