The Bulldog Box Score: Bednar and MSU arms shut down LSU

There's death, taxes, and now, just go ahead and add Mississippi State pitching dominance to the list of life's certainties.

The No. 3 Bulldogs once again silenced bats as MSU took a 3-0 win over No. 19 LSU on Saturday night. Will Bednar, Preston Johnson and Landon Sims combined on the shutout as State clinched the series victory over the Tigers. The pitching performance decreased State's team earned run average all the way down to 2.05 and, more importantly, gave the Bulldogs yet another win over the potent offense of LSU.

"I thought it was a gritty win," MSU head coach Chris Lemonis said. "I thought the kids played great in a lot of phases. You could say we weren’t great offensively, but they faced one of the best arms in the country. They were able to grind him out and do what they do."

Indeed, State's lineup was able to do enough. Facing LSU starter Landon Marceaux, MSU was able to scratch across an unearned run in the fifth inning as Lane Forsythe came through with a sacrifice fly following a Tiger error. Marceaux still hasn't given up an earned run all year, but State left the fifth leading him 1-0.

The Bulldogs added on with runs in the late innings off the LSU bullpen. Rowdey Jordan had an RBI single in the eighth. Josh Hatcher delivered a run-scoring groundout in the ninth.

It was plenty for MSU's arms. Bednar started and threw five scoreless frames. Preston Johnson and Landon Sims followed with two shutout innings each.

When Sims closed the door with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, MSU assured itself a series win in Baton Rouge - its third such victory since 2006.

In the big picture, the Bulldogs are now also on the doorstep of a possible sweep. Lemonis insists he's not viewing Sunday that way though. It's simply another game State has to zero in on.

"We’re right in the middle of it right now," Lemonis said. "It’s not about sweeps, it’s about getting that next win. I know it’s coach-speak, but it’s big to come down here and win."

(NOTE: YOU CAN HEAR WILL BEDNAR'S FULL POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE AUDIO/VIDEO AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE. YOU CAN HEAR CHRIS LEMONIS' FULL POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE BY CLICKING HERE.)

Alright, let's take a look at the numbers, Cowbell Corner Game MVPs and the Moment of the Game.

Mississippi State at LSU box score

Offensive MVP: CF Rowdey Jordan

There wasn't much offense to speak of on Saturday night, but Jordan's eighth-inning RBI single was perhaps the biggest hit of the game.

The Bulldogs led just 1-0 at the time. Perhaps that would've been enough. However Jordan's two-out, run-scoring hit that made it 2-0 felt as though it all but assured an MSU win given State's lockdown bullpen.

Pitching MVP: SP Will Bednar

For anyone that might've still been wondering why MSU didn't just opt to leave Bednar in the bullpen, well, he showed why the Bulldogs want him in the rotation. The right-hander struck out seven over five scoreless frames, allowing only three hits.

To their credit, relievers Preston Johnson and Landon Sims were incredibly strong. But it was Bednar that set the tone for the night.

Moment of the Game: Bednar escapes trouble

For all of MSU's pitching brilliance, the first inning was in danger of getting away from the Bulldogs.

LSU put runners on the corners with nobody out and looked on the verge of a big inning. But Bednar was having none of it. He struck out Cade Doughty, then got Gavin Dugas to ground into a double play. Just like that, the inning was over, as was LSU's chance to grab any sort of early momentum.

(NOTE: Quotes and postgame audio used for this article are made possible via the contributions of Ben Portnoy of The Dispatch. You can view Portnoy's onsite work from Baton Rouge by CLICKING HERE.)

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