LIVE BASEBALL UPDATES: Missouri at Mississippi State (Thursday, 5-13-21)
(NOTE: IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR LIVE UPDATES OF SATURDAY'S GAME, CLICK HERE)
Mississippi State continues its push for a Southeastern Conference championship. The No. 3 Bulldogs keep up their quest as they open up a three-game series against Missouri on Thursday night.
Mississippi State (35-11, 16-8 SEC) is coming off of a 3-1 week that saw a series victory at South Carolina follow a midweek win over The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. Missouri (12-32, 5-19 SEC) is in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, with four of those games being decided by three or fewer runs.
For State, Tanner Allen continues to be one of the hottest hitters in the Southeastern Conference, as he is hitting .406 in conference play though 24 games. Overall, Allen is the only baseball player in the SEC with at least a .300 batting average that ranks among the top 15 in hits, runs and RBIs in the conference. He enters the final two weeks of the regular season ranked No. 2 in the SEC with a .379 average, leads the conference in hits (66), ranks No. 3 in the SEC in runs (50) and No. 7 in RBIs (46).
Bulldog starting pitchers Christian MacLeod and Will Bednar became the 97th and 98th Diamond Dawgs, respectively, to reach the 100-strikeout mark for a career. MacLeod will get the ball in the series opener, while Bednar will start on Friday night. MacLeod held South Carolina scoreless for seven innings to earn SEC Pitcher of the Week honors, as he allowed just three base runners to the Gamecocks. Bednar struck out 13 South Carolina hitters in six innings of work and allowed three runs.
Missouri will wrap up SEC play against a pair of SEC West opponents in MSU and Auburn. Andrew Keefer leads the team with a .294 batting average and 42 hits. His 18 RBIs are tied for No. 2 on the team, as are his 22 runs scored in 40 starts. Seth Halvorsen leads the starting pitchers with 59 innings pitched and has 61 punch outs with a .265 batting average against.
You can find the latest score and live play-by-play updates of Thursday's contest right here on Cowbell Corner all game long. Again, first pitch is set for around 7:30 p.m. central and live updates will begin then.
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Here are your starting lineups:
Missouri Tigers (12-32, 5-19)
- Mark Vierling - 2B
- Tre Morris - C
- Andrew Keefer - RF
- Torin Montgomery - 1B
- Cameron Swanger - 3B
- Clayton Peterson - LF
- Joshua Day - SS
- Alex Peterson - DH
- Ty Wilmsmeyer - CF
Jacob Kush - P
No. 3 Mississippi State Bulldogs (35-11, 16-8)
- Rowdey Jordan - CF
- Tanner Allen - RF
- Kamren James - 3B
- Luke Hancock - 1B
- Logan Tanner - C
- Scotty Dubrule - 2B
- Kellum Clark - DH
- Lane Forsythe - SS
- Brayland Skinner - LF
Christian MacLeod - P
Alright, let's play ball!
TOP of 1 - Missouri batting
- Vierling flies out to left. One out.
- Morris flies out to center. Two outs.
- Keefer with a soft line drive single to left. Runner at first, two outs.
- Montgomery grounds to short. MSU SS Lane Forsythe can't field it cleanly. Error. Montgomery reaches, Keefer advances to second. Runners at first and second, two outs.
- Wild pitch advances Keefer to third and Montgomery to second. Runners at second and third, two outs.
- Swanger taps the ball out in front of the plate. MSU catcher Logan Tanner can't field it cleanly Error. Swanger reaches. Other runners have to hold. Bases loaded, two outs.
- C. Peterson strikes out swinging. Inning over.
- MID 1 - MSU 0, Missouri 0
BOTTOM of 1 - MSU batting
- Jordan singles to center. Runner at first, no outs.
- Allen doubles into the left-centerfield gap. Jordan gets to third. Runners at second and third, no outs.
- James RBI ground out to second. Jordan scores on the play. MSU leads 1-0. Allen moves up to third. Runner at third, one out.
- Hancock RBI single to right. Allen scores. It's 2-0 MSU. Runner at first, one out.
- Tanner grounds out slowly to third. Hancock moves up to second on the play. Runner at second, two outs.
- Dubrule struck out swinging. Inning over.
- END of 1 - MSU 2, Missouri 0
TOP of 2 - Missouri batting
- Day grounds out to second. One out.
- A. Peterson walks. Runner at first, one out.
- A. Peterson steals second and the throw gets into centerfield. Third MSU error of the game already. Peterson gets up to third. Runner at third, one out.
- Wilmsmeyer RBI single to left. A. Peterson scores. Score is now MSU 2, Missouri 1. Runner at first, one out.
- Wilmsmeyer caught stealing. Tried to go too soon and MacLeod picked him off. Two outs, bases empty.
- Vierling flies out to left. Inning over.
- MID 2 - MSU 2, Missouri 1
BOTTOM of 2 - MSU batting
- Clark strikes out swinging. One out.
- Forsythe hits a ball hard to the left side. Mizzou SS can't field it cleanly and it goes into left. Ruled an error. Runner at first, one out.
- Skinner strikes out swinging. Two outs, runner still at first.
- Jordan flies out to left. Inning over.
- END of 2 - MSU 2, Missouri 1
TOP of 3 - Missouri batting
- Morris singles to right. Runner at first, no outs.
- Keefer lines one up the middle. MSU pitcher MacLeod knocks it down, but can't get an out anywhere. Ruled a hit. Morris advances to second. Runners at first and second, nobody out.
- Montgomery flies out to deep left. Morris tags up and advances to third. Keefer holds at first. Runners at first and third, one out.
- Swanger pops up a bunt and it's caught by MSU P MacLeod. Runners hold. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Keefer steals second base. On the throw down to second, Morris steals home. Game is now tied 2-2. Runner at second, two outs.
- C. Peterson walks. Runners now at first and second, two outs.
- Day RBI single to left-centerfield. Keefer scores. Missouri now leads 3-2. C. Peterson advances to third. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- A Peterson lines to first and it's knocked down by MSU 1B Luke Hancock who then steps on the bag for the out. Inning over.
- MID 3 - Missouri 3, MSU 2
BOTTOM of 3 - MSU batting
- Allen flies out to center. One out.
- James flies out to right. Two outs.
- Hancock walks. Runner at first, two outs.
- Tanner grounds out to third. Inning over.
- END of 3 - Missouri 3, MSU 2
TOP of 4 - Missouri batting
- MSU to the bullpen. Brandon Smith now pitching.
- Wilmsmeyer strikes out looking. One out.
- Vierling strikes out swinging. Two outs.
- Morris flies out to right. Inning over.
- MID 4 - Missouri 3, MSU 2
BOTTOM of 4 - MSU batting
- Dubrule bunts to pitcher and is thrown out. One out.
- Clark grounds out to first. Two outs.
- Forsythe struck out looking. Inning over.
- END of 4 - Missouri 3, MSU 2
TOP of 5 - Missouri batting
- Keefer doubles to left. Runner at second, no outs.
- Montgomery grounds out to short. Keefer moves up to third on the play. Runner at third, one out.
- Luke Mann pinch hits for Swanger – Mann with an RBI single to center. Keefer scores. Score is now Missouri 4, MSU 2. Runner at first, one out.
- C. Peterson strikes out swinging. Third strike was a wild pitch too though and Mann advances to second. Runner at second, two outs.
- Day grounds out to third. Inning over.
- MID 5 - Missouri 4, MSU 2
BOTTOM of 5 - MSU batting
- Mann stays in to play third for Missouri.
- Skinner fouls out to third. One out.
- Jordan walks. Runner at first, one out.
- Jordan advances to second on a balk. Runner at second, one out.
- Allen flies out to left. Two outs, runner still at second.
- James flies out to right. Inning over.
- END of 5 - Missouri 4, MSU 2
TOP of 6 - Missouri batting
- MSU to the bullpen. Preston Johnson now pitching.
- Josh Holt, Jr. pinch hits for A. Peterson – Holt, Jr. strikes out looking. One out.
- Brandt Belk pinch hits for Wilmsmeyer – Belk struck out looking.
- Vierling strikes out swinging. Inning over.
- MID 6 - Missouri 4, MSU 2
BOTTOM of 6 - MSU batting
- Missouri to the bullpen. Lukas Veinbergs now pitching.
- Hancock lines out to center. One out.
- Tanner walks. Runner at first, one out.
- Dubrule singles down the left-field line. Tanner advances to second. Runners at first and second, one out.
- Clark grounds to second. Fielder's choice. Dubrule forced out at second. Clark reaches. Tanner moves up to third. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Forsythe grounds out to third. Inning over.
- END of 6 - Missouri 4, MSU 2
TOP of 7 - Missouri batting
- Morris struck out swinging. One out.
- Keefer walks. Runner at first, one out.
- Montgomery strikes out swinging. Runner at first, two outs.
- Mann strikes out looking. Inning over.
- MID 7 - Missouri 4, MSU 2
BOTTOM of 7 - MSU batting
- Skinner walks. Runner at first, no outs.
- Jordan strikes out swinging. Runner at first, one out.
- Allen with a deep fly ball to right. Would have been a game-tying two-run homer but it's robbed. Fly out. Two outs, runner still at first.
- James grounds to third. The throw to first is low and can't be handled. James is safe. Ruled a hit. But Skinner gets to third on the low throw, so that part is an error. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Wild pitch and Skinner comes home to score. Score is now Missouri 4, MSU 3. James gets to second. Runner at second, two outs.
- Hancock walks. Runners at first and second, two outs.
- Tanner walks. James moves up to third. Hancock up to second. Bases loaded, two outs.
- Dubrule grounds to second slowly. Throw to first and Dubrule is safe. Infield single. James scores on the play and so does Hancock, hustling around all the way from second on the infield hit. MSU takes a 5-4 lead. Tanner advanced to second on the play. Runners at first and second, two outs.
- Missouri to the bullpen. Spencer Miles now pitching.
- Clark pops out to short. Inning over.
- END of 7 - MSU 5, Missouri 4
TOP of 8 - Missouri batting
- MSU to the bullpen. Landon Sims now pitching. Tanner Leggett now playing third for MSU in place of James.
- C. Peterson strikes out swinging. One out.
- Day strikes out swinging. Two outs.
- Holt Jr. strikes out swinging. Inning over.
- MID 8 - MSU 5, Missouri 4
BOTTOM of 8 - MSU batting
- Forsythe flies out to deep left. One out.
- Skinner struck out swinging. Two outs.
- Jordan grounds out to second. Inning over.
- END of 8 - MSU 5, Missouri 4
TOP of 9 - Missouri batting
- Belk flies out to left. One out.
- Vierling strikes out swinging. Two outs.
- Morris flies out to center. Ballgame.
FINAL: Mississippi State 5, Missouri 4
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