MSU Drops 14-Inning Heartbreaker To No. 1 LSU

Thursday, April 30

Starkville

6:30 PM

Mississippi State

23-23, 7-15

#1 LSU

39-7, 15-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
LSU	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	13	2
Mississippi State	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	11	1

MSU Drops 14-Inning Heartbreaker To No. 1 LSU

May 01, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State took the nation's top-ranked baseball team to the wire Thursday night.

However, No. 1 LSU withstood a flurry of potential knockout blows to pull off a 5-3, 14-inning Southeastern Conference win before a nationally televised crowd at Dudy Noble Field.

In the 14^th inning, a two-run double by Conner Hale lifted the Tigers to the victory.

MSU fell to 23-23 overall and 7-15 in conference play, while LSU improved to 39-7 and 15-6. The Bulldogs lost the opening game of a conference series for the seventh time in eight weekends.

However, few of the losses stung like Thursday night's. The contest was the longest game of the MSU season and the longest MSU-LSU game in more than a quarter of century.

“Right now, it's just not happening for us,” MSU head coach John Cohen said. “The weirdest of the weird seems to keep happening to us. We are undermanned but we are doing the very best that we can. I feel so bad for the kids because there were so many ways in which we should have won that game.

“They are battling their hearts out right now. Again, it's just not happening right now.”

MSU appeared poised to pull out the win in the home half of the ninth inning.

Trailing 3-2, Luke Reynolds started things with a one-out single. Wes Rea followed with a single. Matt Spruill then entered to run for Rea. Reid Humphreys then smoked a ball over the center fielder's head to the base of the outfield wall.

Reynolds scored to tie the game but Spruill tripped just past the third base bag and was tagged out trying to return to the bag. The Bulldogs did pull even but were unable to push the game-winner home.

In the 11^th inning, Jacob Robson drew a walk and later stole second base. Ryan Gridley followed with a single to left field but Robson was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Robson was then stranded at third base in the 13^th inning.

MSU built an early 2-0 lead on hits by Gavin Collins, Reynolds and Rea in the first inning.

LSU pulled even in the fourth inning and took a 3-2 lead on a double play ball in the fifth inning.

From there, MSU pitching held LSU in check until the 14^th inning.

“We threw our very best tonight because this was a game where we had a chance to win,” Cohen said. “It's really hard when you have 18-to-22-year-old kids and these things keep happening to you. It's hard to keep competing but our kids continue to battle.”

Zac Houston threw five innings of two-hit shutout relief for starter Lucas Laster. Laster was pulled after a leadoff double in the fifth inning. Houston matched a career-high with five strikeouts in his longest stint as a Bulldog. Trevor Fitts (2-4) allowed six hits and two runs (both earned) in 4.1 innings of relief before tiring in the 14^th inning. Dakota Hudson got the final two outs for the Bulldogs.

LSU reliever Jake Godfrey (7-0) got the final two outs of the 13^th inning to record the win, while Jesse Stallings retired the side in order in the 14^th inning for his 12^th save. Starter Jared Poche' threw nine innings, allowing eight hits and three runs (two earned).

Luke Reynolds had three hits to highlight MSU's 11-hit attack. Reynolds is now 10 for his last 13 at the plate. Rea and Gridley also had multiple hits.

LSU finished with 13 hits. Jake Fraley had three hits, while Mark Laird, Hale and Chris Chinea each had two hits.

The series resumes with a 7 p.m. start Friday with ESPNU handling the national telecast from Dudy Noble Field.