Mississippi State looks to keep the momentum going on the road at Texas A&M.
Steve Robertson
Mississippi State and Texas A&M will open the second Southeastern Conference series of the season tonight in College Station. First pitch has been moved back to 7 PM. The game was originally scheduled for 6:30, but rain in the area has forced a scheduled change.
Tonight's coverage is being handled remotely from Starkville due to a scheduling conflict. We will resume our in person coverage next week at Samford and Florida. There will be no post game press conference tonight, Saturday or Sunday. Our regular Chris Lemonis Q&A will consist of comments shared on the Bulldog Baseball radio post game show.
Mississippi State has announced that sophom*ore RHP Evan Siary (0-1, 6.00 ERA) will start for the second straight Friday in place of Nate Dohm. Dohm was sidelined by an injury, but the hope is that he will return next week when the team heads to Gainesville. Siary has worked nine innings and allowed six runs on nine hits on the campaign. He has struck out eight and walked just two on the season.
Texas A&M is expected to counter LHP Ryan Prager (4-0, 2.08 ERA). Prager has allowed 16 hits in 26 innings pitches on the season. He has struck out 41 and walked just three. Last weekend against Florida, Prager worked just 2.1 innings allowing six runs on seven hits. He had not allowed a run in his previous four starts.
Mississippi State has made one change to the line-up this evening. Dylan Cupp is back at short after a three game absence. During Cupp's time away, Bryce Chance served as the team's designated hitter, Larry played second and Mershon pulled over to short.
Mississippi State line-up:
1. Amani Larry DH
2. David Mershon 2B
3. Dakota Jordan RF
4. Hunter Hines 1B
5. Connor Hujsak CF
6. Aaron Downs LF
7. Logan Kohler 3B
8. Johnny Long C
9. Dylan Cupp SS
Texas A&M line-up:
1. Gavin Grahovac 3B
2. Jace LaViolette CF
3. Braden Montgomery RF
4. Jackson Appel C
5. Ted Burton 1B
6. Hayden Schott LF
7. Hank Bard DH
8. Ali Camarillo SS
9. Kaeden Kent 2B
1st Inning
Top 1st:
Larry first pitch is fouled back 0-1, fastball in for strike two, ball down 1-2, fastball down 2-2, breaking ball gets a swing and a miss, one down.
Mershon breaking ball catches the inside corner 0-1, swing and a miss on the breaker 0-2, bounces well in front of the plate 1-2, swings over the breaker, two down.
Jordan fastball misses low 1-0, swing and a miss 1-1, fastball in at the knees 1-2, bounced well in front of the plate 2-2, swing and a miss, but the pitch gets away from the catcher and Jordan takes first.
Hines swing and a miss at the change 0-1, breaker lands for strike two 0-2, swings over the slider to retire the side.
0-0
Bottom 1st:
Grahovac fastball in for strike one, solo shot 1-0 A&M
LaViolette ball down and in 1-0, ball two 2-0, breaker on the inside corner 1-1, ball up 2-1, fastball in there for strike two to run it full. popped up on the infield and Cupp has it. one down.
Montgomery fastball on the outside corner 0-1, ball down and in 1-1 swings over the slider 1-2, fastball down 2-2, called strike three on the inside corner, two down.
Appel fastball low 1-0, fastball up for a strike 1-1, fouled back 1-2, fouled back, can of corn to center, to end the inning
1-0 A&M
2nd Inning
Top 2nd
Hujsak ball down 1-0, ball in 2-0, fly out to left, one down.
Downs hopped out to second, close play, but he's out, two down. Downs stepped on his leg trying to get to first.
Kohler strike one on the outside corner 0-1, ball down, 1-1, slider dips low and away 2-1, bounced out to second and he makes the throw for the out. eight pitch inning.
1-0 A&M
Bottom 2nd
Burton fastball on the inside corner 0-1, fouled away 0-2, breaker fades in, nearly got him 1-2, ball up 2-2, misses away to run the count full, swing and a miss K one down.
Schott fastball in there 0-1, fastball up 1-1, fouled down 1-2, fastball up 2-2, breaker just misses wide, close, but off 3-2, fouled down, fouled back, grounded into the shift, and Mershon throws him out at first, two down.
Bard fastball up 1-0, fastball at the knees 1-1, ball in nearly hit him 2-1, fouled back 2-2, fly out to deep center, to end the inning.
1-0 A&M
3rd Inning
Top 3rd:
Long grounds toward the middle, third baseman can't make the play. E5
Cupp gets the SAC bunt down, Long takes second, one down
Larry takes a ball low 1-0, fouled back 1-1, ball up is called strike two 1-2, fouled outside of first and the first baseman has it for the second out.
Mershon ball up 1-0, swing and a miss on the fastball 1-1, ball down and away 2-1, flared into right center for an RBI single. 1-1
Jordan fastball up 1-0, ball down 2-0, swing and a miss 2-1, fouled off his foot, 2-2, infield single for Jordan. It bounces off a diving infielder.
Hines ball away 1-0, ball down 2-0, slider in there for a strike 2-1, fouled away 2-2, fouled away, takes it the other way for an RBI single, 2-1 State
Hujsak flies out to right to retire the side.
2-1 State
Bottom 3rd:
Camarillo fastball up 1-0, ball up and in 2-0, ball up 3-0, strike one called 3-1, grounded out to third and Kohler makes it look easy, one down.
Kent popped up in short center and Cupp has it, two down.
Grahovac fastball down 1-0, fouled out of play 1-1, fastball a dot on the corner 1-2, swing and a miss on the slider to end the inning,
2-1 State
4th Inning
Top 4th
Downs takes inside for ball one 1-0, ball down 2-0, swings over the change 2-1, swings over another change 2-2, fouled off his foot, swing and a miss on the fastball in, one down.
Kohler fouled straight back 0-1, hit into the shift, close play, two down.
Long fastball in there for strike one 0-1, ball up 1-1, fastball up 2-1, fastball in 3-1, fastball down for the walk. a rarity with Prager on the bump
Cupp breaking ball stays up 1-0, swing and a miss on the high heat 1-1, swing and a miss on the change 1-2, ball away 2-2, crowd doesn't like it, but somehow they will live with it. bounced back toward the middle and the second baseman has it and steps on the bag at second to retire the side.
2-1 State
Bottom 4th
LaViolette bounced short 1-0, lined into the shift and Kohler has it, one down.
Montgomery breaker misses low 1-0, fouled back 1-1, long fly ball to center, but it's just a long out, two down.
Appel strike one called 0-1, popped up foul and just over the fence 0-2, fastball just missed in 1-2, fastball away 2-2, swing and a miss on a nasty fastball. Siary is dealing.
2-1 State
5th inning
Top 5th
Larry ball down 1-0, ball down 2-0, feels like Prager is fading a bit. fastball in there for strike one 2-1, fastball on the outside corner 2-2, swings over the change for the K, one down.
Mershon pulled foul 0-1, fouled back 0-2, swing and a miss on the fastball up, two down.
Jordan fastball away 1-0, ball down 2-0, swing and a miss on the fastball in 2-1, bounces it up there 3-1, swings over the slider to run it full 3-2, swing and a miss on a slider down and away.
2-1 State
Bottom 5th
Top 6th:
Burton fastball in for strike one, fouled out of play 0-2, ball up 1-2 and he won't chase. fouled down, ripped foul, fouled away, up and in, nearly hit him 2-2, lined back up the middle for a single, that's the first hit for A&M since the leadoff HR back in the first.
Schott will see Nolan Stevens ball one, swing and a miss 1-1 ground ball into right, runner holds at second.
Bard misses in with the fastball 1-0, ball up 2-0, fastball just misses low. 3-0, fastball in there 3-1, fouled down to run it full. big pitch coming here. ball four, ball gets away, but the runner holds at third. bases loaded and nobody out. Parker out to chat.
Camarillo ball down 1-0, Stevens just doesn't look comfortable. fastball in on the inside corner 1-1, slider in 2-1, fouled out of play 2-2, need a punch out here. pulled foul, slider in to run it full. fly ball to center and Hujsak can't catch up to it and field it clean. run scores 2-2.
PH Targac swing and a miss on the breaker down 0-1, swings over another breaker 0-2, swing and a miss K, one down. big K there.
Grahovac fouled back 0-1, grand slam to left, 6-2 Aggies
LaViolette fouled back 0-1, ball just missed away 1-1, ripped foul 1-2, called strike three, two down
Montgomery ball away 1-0 singled into left
Appel and they pick him off first, to end the inning.
6-2 A&M
6th Inning
Top 6th
Hines fouled back, fouled away 0-2, ball down 1-2, ball up 2-2, hit well, but it dies at the wall in center, one down
Hujsak strike one called, fly out to center, two down.
Downs fouled back 0-1, breaking ball lined out to center for the third out.
6-2 A&M
Bottom 6th
Appel strike one called 0-1, singled back up the middle
Burton strike one called 0-1, hard hopper to short and State turns the 6-4-3 double play
Schott breaker in there for strike one 0-1, fly out to left to end the inning
6-2 A&M
7th inning
Top 7th:
Kohler bunted foul 0-1, grounded out to second for the out one down.
Long near perfect bunt passed the pitcher towards the second baseman, no shot, single.
Cupp will see RHP Josh Stewart check swing pitch is called a strike 0-1, swings and misses at a slider out of the zone 0-2, takes ball low 1-2, weak swing at the slider, K, two down.
Larry slider down 1-0, front door slider in there for strike one 1-1, takes the slider the other way for a single. Long takes third, runners on the corners.
Mershon fouled off the right side 0-1, yanked foul 0-2, swing and a miss on the slider in.
6-2 A&M
Bottom 7th:
Bard ball one make it two 2-0, fouled away, fouled back, fouled away, fly out to left, one down
Camarillo bunts foul 0-1, fouled outside of third 0-2, grounded out to short and he plays it clean to first, two down.
Targac ball down 1-0, strike one in 1-1, swings wildly at the slider 1-2, pulled foul, bounced foul, fouled out of play, called strike three to end the inning.
6-2 A&M
8th inning
Top 8th:
Jordan takes strike one, slider low 1-1, front door slider in there 1-2, slider fades away 2-2, called strike three on the front door slider, K one down.
Hines fastball called strike one on the outside corner 0-1, solo HR to left. 6-3 A&M
Hujsak takes strike one, doubled into the left field corner.
Downs swings through the slider. fouled back 0-2 fastball misses away 1-2, popped up on the infield and the SS has it. two down
Kohler will see LHP Evan Aschenbeck fouled down 0-1 swing and a miss pitch gets away and Hujsak takes third, 0-2, ball in the dirt blocked up well 1-2, fastball fouled away, change up down 2-2, swings over the breaker K to retire the side.
6-3 A&M
Bottom 8th:
Grahovac grounded out to second and Mershon makes the play to first, one down.
LaViolette breaker lands on the inside corner 0-1, check swing, slider dips low apparently. 1-1, slider low 2-1, ball up 3-1, rolled out to first, Hines has it and flips to Stevens who covers. Close play. A&M will challenge the call, but to no avail. two down.
Montgomery swings over the slider 0-1, lined into left for a single.
Appel strike one called at the knees 0-1, shows bunt takes low 1-1, they pick off Montgomery again.
6-3 A&M
9th inning
Top 9th:
PH Chance takes strike one, laced into left for a single
Cupp takes strike one, rolled back toward the middle, but the cut it off and turn the 6-4-3 double play. tough development there for sure.
Larry strike one, ball in 1-1, ball up 2-1, strike two called 2-2, probably see a cutter here. ball down to run the count full. grounded to second and he makes the play.
6-3 A&M
