Lemonis Picks Up 200th Career Win in 9-0 Win Over Long Beach State

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Bulldog bats came alive Saturday evening as No. 4 Mississippi State bounced back with a 9-0 win over Long Beach State at Blair Field.

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 7-3 and head coach Chris Lemons picks up his 200th career win. With the loss, the Dirtbags fall to 7-3.

After five scoreless innings, MSU scored four runs in the sixth inning, four in the seventh and one in the eighth. The Bulldog bats accounted for 13 hits, while the pitching staff limited Long Beach State to four hits.

Junior Rowdey Jordan and junior Jordan Westburg led the top of the sixth inning off with back-to-back singles. A triple from junior Tanner Allen scored two runs before he scored on an error to give State a 3-0 lead. Junior Justin Foscue followed with a solo home run to left field to make it a 4-0 game.

In the seventh inning, junior Josh Hatcher led off with a double. A single from Jordan then put runners on the corners. A sacrifice fly scored Hatcher before Allen’s double scored Jordan. Sophomore Brandon Pimentel brought Allen home with a single and freshman Kamren James scored Pimentel with a double to left center to increase the Bulldog lead to 8-0.

MSU added a final run in the eighth inning after freshman Logan Tanner drew a walk, advanced to second on a passed ball, advanced on a groundout and scored on an RBI single from Jordan.

Jordan led the offense with a 4-for-5 performance with two runs scored and one RBI. Allen recorded two hits with three RBIs, while Foscue and James record two-hit, one-RBI performances.

Redshirt freshman southpaw Christian MacLeod (3-0) earned the win after tossing five scoreless innings where he allowed just one hit, struck out five batters and walked three batters.

Freshman right-hander Will Bednar pitched four innings of relief to earn his his first save of the year. He allowed three hits and fanned six batters.

Sophomore left-hander Alfredo Ruiz (2-1) was charged with the Long Beach State loss after allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings pitched.

The Bulldogs and Dirtbags will back on the diamond Sunday at 1 p.m. CT to decide the series.