Kohn Leads Bulldog Series Sweep In Battle of MSUs

(Mississippi State Athletics photo)

By Doug Kyle

Mississippi State junior lefthander Pico Kohn continued his dominant return from injury with another brilliant performance against Missouri State over the weekend, as the Bulldogs swept the Bears in the battle of the maroon-and-white MSUs, 3-1, 9-3, and 6-4, to improve their record to 6-1.

Kohn logged 6 1/3 innings in the Friday series opener, battling through the 38-degree weather and striking out 11, walking none, and allowing the lookalike visitors only a single run on four hits. What still made the day treacherous for the southpaw was the trouble his offense had generating runs. Leaving with an 0-1 deficit, Kohn didn't get the win, that went to reliever Dane Burns, who teamed with three other members of the Bulldog bullpen to keep the hosts in striking distance until the pivotal 8th inning.

Designated Hitter Noah Sullivan had the decisive two-run double in the 8th inning that provided the winning margin for Mississippi State in the 3-1 win over Missouri State (Mississippi State Athletics photo)

After a bases-loaded ground ball to second base by third baseman Ace Reese brought the pressure-relieving tying run home, designated hitter Noah Sullivan belted a double to right centerfield that brought the winning runs in. In the top of the 9th inning, lefthanded reliever Luke Dotson got two quick outs, then battled through two walks and stranded the tying runs to win the game and earn his first save.

Luke Dotson got his first career save in the 3-1 Friday win (Mississippi State Athletics photo)

Game two on Saturday was a similarly tight contest, tied 1-1 when Reed Stallman pinch hit to lead off the 5th inning. His home run into the Left Field Lounge rigs gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish. The lead was quickly expanded when Reese drove a bases-loaded triple to centerfield, driving in three more and pushing the lead to 5-1.

Even after Missouri State added a run to narrow the gap to 5-2, the Bulldogs responded with three more in the 7th and another in the 8th, giving freshman reliever Mikhai Grant a cushion with which to work in the 9th. Grant gave up an RBI ground ball in exchange for the first out, then retired the next two to end the game. Freshman Ryan McPherson, who relieved starter Karson Ligon with three innings of one-hit scoreless relief, got the win. On the day, the Bulldog pitching staff gave up an uncharacteristic nine walks but held the Bears to five hits and struck out a dozen batters.

Right Fielder Nolan Stevens raced over and caught this ball right on the foul line, likely preventing an extra base hit in the tight Friday series opener (Mississippi State Athletics photo)

In the Sunday series finale, starter Stone Simmons went four innings and was the winning pitcher. He struck out five, gave up a run on four walks, but allowed no hits. In fact, no Bulldog pitcher did until the top of the 9th, when the homer-reputation Bears got their only roundtripper of the weekend, a notable nod to the host pitching staff.

Freshman lefthander Charlie Foster, who suffered a 3-0 loss at Southern Miss on Tuesday in an error-filled and offense-deficient game, followed Simmons with 2 2/3 innings scoreless that included two of the eight total walks issued overall. Fellow southpaw Robert Fortenberry logged 1 1/3 on the mound before a walk and hit batter in the 9th brought on Dotson for his second appearance of the series. When Dotson struggled and gave up the three-run Bears homer, veteran Chase Hungate entered the game with the tying runs on base and showed the late inning and save-earning poise that made him such a closing weapon before his transfer from Virginia.

Gehrig Frei fist bumps Third Base Coach Kyle Cheesebrough after leading off the Mississippi State first inning with a home run, one of three hit Sunday by Bulldogs leading off an inning (Mississippi State Athletics photo)

And, the offense showed up big time on Sunday, the Bulldogs getting three of their four homers leading off an inning, starting with Gehrig Frei's blast on the first pitch in the bottom of the 1st. Ace Reese and Aaron Downs got their second of the year, as did Hunter Hines, who is now 11 jacks from tying Rafael Palmeiro's school career record. Post game, Head Coach Chris Lemonis had mixed feelings about all nine starters collecting at least one hit, noting that the Bulldogs still need to be more consistent than the several innings they put runners on to pose a threat, only to be retired and not get them in, the 10 Left On Base evidence of that.

Right Fielder Ethan Pulliam slides into third base to complete his 4th inning triple in the 6-4 Sunday win over Missouri State (Mississippi State Athletics photo)

The Bulldogs have a midweek home game Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 pm CT against a dangerous 6-1 Troy team before heading to Houston, TX, where they will play in the Astros Foundation College Classic. Rice is the first opponent on Friday at 11:05 am CT, followed on Saturday by Arizona at 3:05 pm CT, and finishing up with Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon at 2:05 pm CT. Lemonis has not announced a starting pitcher for any of the games.

Noah Sullivan (left) and Pico Kohn (right) were smiling in Friday's postgame press conference after a 3-1 comeback win over Missouri State (College Baseball Central image)

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