Baseball Drops Midweek Tilt to Texas Southern

Tuesday, February 25

Starkville

4:00 PM

Mississippi State

5-2

Texas Southern

1-9

Texas Southern

Mississippi State

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - FEBRUARY 25, 2020 - The Mississippi State Bulldogs take on the Texas Southern Tigers at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS. Photo By Gabby Zgunda

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

Baseball Drops Midweek Tilt to Texas Southern

February 25, 2020 | Baseball

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Diamond Dawgs out-hit Tigers, 8-6, but leave 11 runners on base in loss

by: Greg Campbell, Assistant Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – An early 2-0 edge was the only lead the Mississippi State baseball program would have in an 8-4 setback to Texas Southern on Tuesday (Feb. 25) afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.

Mississippi State (5-2) out-hit Texas Southern (1-9), 8-6, but a pair of costly errors, six walks and a pair of hit batters were more than State could overcome. MSU left 11 runners on base, while TSU stranded eight in the game and made one error.

State scored twice in the first and one in the second, but Texas Southern tallied three runs in the second inning to level the game through two frames. After a scoreless third inning, TSU plated four runs – three unearned – in the fourth and never relinquished the lead. Another Tiger unearned run in the eight made it 8-3, before a single run in the ninth accounted for the final margin of 8-4.

Junior Justin Foscue moved his hitting streak to four games with a 3-for-4 night at the plate and pushed his reached base streak to 12 games dating back to the 2019 season. His two RBIs give him four multi-RBI games on the season and 25 for his career.

Juniors Jordan Westburg and Tanner Allen each moved 20-plus game reached base streaks forward in the game. Westburg pushed his reached base streak to 27 games, while Allen moved his streak to 25 straight games on base. Westburg scored a pair of runs in his fourth multi-hit game of the season, while also moving his stole base mark to a perfect 8-for-8 in his career.

Five Mississippi State pitchers combined to strike out 13 batters in the game, led by a career-high five from freshman Landon Sims and four by graduate student David Dunlavey. It is the seventh straight game to start the season in which State fanned double-digit hitters in a game.

Senior Riley Self took sole possession of the No. 7 spot on the career relief appearances chart with his 76th career appearance out of the bullpen. Self struck out one in his one inning of work.

Quotables
Head Coach Chris Lemonis
On his message to the team
"[I told them] We have to be tougher. We're not competing right now in a lot of different ways – defensively, pitching-wise and then, most of all, offensively…We're just a little frustrated right now…The good thing is we can get out there, play again tomorrow and play well."

Junior Jordan Westburg
On the feeling after the game
"This a really big wake-up call…It should hurt. It should hurt for everybody on the team, guys that are on the bench, guys that started, guys that came late in the game…The good thing is that we have a game tomorrow, so we get to go to sleep, come back to the ball field and compete right away, which is the best thing for us."

Scoring Recap
Bottom First
The first three batters reached base as singles from Rowdey Jordan and Tanner Allen bookended a hit-by-pitch from Jordan Westburg. Justin Foscue delivered game first run with a sacrifice fly and Brandon Pimentel drove in the second run with a fielder's choice.
Mississippi State 2, Texas Southern 0

Top Second
Texas Southern answered with three runs on two hits against MSU starting pitcher KC Hunt. Five of the first seven batters reached base, with a pair of sacrifice files plating the first two runs. Justin Cooper plated the third run with an RBI single, before David Dunlavey came on to record the final out.
Texas Southern 3, Mississippi State 2

Bottom Second
Rowdey Jordan reached on a fielder's choice and stole second base before Westburg delivered the RBI double to tie the game at three.
Mississippi State 3, Texas Southern 3

Top Fourth
With two outs and two runners on base, the Tigers benefited from a run-scoring wild pitch, two walked and an error to push the first two runs of the frame across. Victor Bueno delivered the big hit with a two-RBI single.
Texas Southern 7, Mississippi State 3

Top Eighth
After a pair of strikeouts started the inning, Texas Southern put the first runner on via error, before a hit-by-pitch and walk loaded the bases. A chopper up the middle took too long to develop and the runner from first beat the throw to second allowed the eighth run – fourth unearned – to cross the plate.
Texas Southern 8, Mississippi State 3

Bottom Ninth
A one-out walk to Westburg was followed by an Allen walk, before Foscue plated a run with an RBI single. Jesse Garcia entered for TSU and struck out the final two batters to end the game.
Texas Southern 8, Mississippi State 4

Up Next
Mississippi State closes its season-opening homestand versus Alcorn State on Wednesday, February 26. The Diamond Dawgs and Braves will throw the first pitch at 2 p.m.