The Recap: LSU Baseball Downs Mississippi State in 2-1 Game 2 Victory on Friday

Jay Johnson and Co. take down the Bulldogs, battle through inclement weather to get the series win.

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Baseball.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Behind two solo home runs and outstanding outings from pitchers Athony Eyanson and Casan Evans, fifth-ranked LSU captured the series against Mississippi State with a 2-1 victory over the Bulldogs Friday night in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

After a 2 1/2 hour delay due to inclement weather in the area, LSU secured the series win and improved to 25-3 overall and 6-2 in the SEC, while Mississippi State dropped to 16-11 overall and 1-7 in conference play.

The teams return for the series finale at 6 p.m. CT Saturday in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. The game will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network and streamed on SEC Network+.

“I’m proud of our team; it was a long day for them, obviously, with the delay,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “They kept themselves ready to go, and winning baseball starts and ends on the pitcher’s mound, and we got great performances our of Anthony and Casan tonight.”

Eyanson (4-0) earned the win after allowing just one run in his five innings of work. Eyanson finished with 12 strikeouts for his most in a conference game and second most in an outing this season.

“Anthony has great competitive character and make-up about him,” Johnson said. “Little things don’t bother him, so he was able to navigate the weather delay situation.”

Evans entered in relief and pitched four shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out six. The freshman, who earned his fifth save of the season got out of a jam in the eight with a 2-1 lead, striking out the Bulldog batter with the bases loaded. He then came back in the ninth and worked around a two-out walk to secure the team’s win.

“Casan is one of the best pitchers in the country,” Johnson said. “He gave us an incredible performance tonight. He really navigate the lineup; I thought he pitched very smart, because there are a few hitters in that Mississippi State lineup that if you make a mistake, they’re going to tattoo it. He showed his poise, his talent and his competitiveness tonight.”

The Tigers struck first in the game with a solo home run by designated hitter Ethan Frey in the second inning. Mississippi State tied the game in the fourth after a passed ball scored Bulldogs’ third baseman Ace Reese.

LSU then took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run by catcher Luis Hernandez.

More LSU News:

Three LSU Targets to Know: Louisiana Prospects the Tigers "Must" Land

The Buzz: Latest on the No. 1 Safety in America, Five-Star LSU Target

Prized LSU Commitment '100%' Locked in with the Tigers

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.