State Suffers Loss In Series Opener At No. 25 Mizzou

Friday, March 23

Columbia, Mo.

6:30 PM

Mississippi State

12-11, 0-4

#25 Missouri

18-5, 2-2

Mississippi State

Mizzou

The Diamond Dawgs aim to even up the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. CT.

Photo by: Blake Williams/MSU Athletics

State Suffers Loss In Series Opener At No. 25 Mizzou

March 23, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mississippi State's offense could not manufacture enough to generate the big inning, falling 4-1 to Missouri in the opening game of a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Taylor Stadium.

MSU (12-11 overall, 0-4 SEC) was held to six total hits. The Bulldogs stranded seven base runners and were hurt by a pair of errors.

Missouri (18-5, 2-2) scored twice in the third inning and twice in the seventh inning.

MSU starter Konnor Pilkington (1-3) worked 5.2 innings, allowing nine hits and two runs (both earned), with five strikeouts and a pair of walks. The lone MSU offense came in the sixth inning on a solo home run by Luke Alexander.

"Konnor (Pilkington) was not as sharp as he normally is," MSU head coach Gary Henderson. "He competed and when he needed a pitch, he found it. They had three soft hits in the third inning but the game does that sometimes. We hit the ball hard. The third inning was the whole ballgame."

"Luke Alexander had a great home run. We just have to grind out at-bats and find a way to push some runs across."

Keegan James finished the contest, going the final 2.1 innings, allowing two hits and two runs (both earned), with two strikeouts and a walk.

The Tigers scored first on an RBI-single by Brett Bond. A wild pitch scored the second run.

After the Alexander home run, Missouri got a critical insurance score on another RBI-single by Bond. The Tigers also took home on a throwout at second base in that frame.

The Bulldogs also had a chance in the seventh inning when Josh Hatcher and Elijah MacNamee each had hits. However, the Bulldogs stranded a pair of runners in that frame.

Tanner Allen and MacNamee each had two hits for the Bulldogs.

Kameron Misner and Bond each had three hits to highlight an 11-hit attack for Missouri.

T.J. Sikkema (2-0) threw seven innings of four hit-baseball with seven strikeouts to garner the win for the Tigers. Andy Toelken earned his first save.

The Bulldogs and Tigers will retake the field at Taylor Stadium on Saturday for a 2 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+.

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