Mississippi State Takes Game 1 Over LSU

If you're a fan of college baseball then you know about the rivalry between the LSU Tigers and the MS State Bulldogs. Both programs have had success on a national level and both program usually just reload instead of rebuild every year.  There is a lot of mutual respect between these two programs and the two teams. Every game between the Tigers and 'Dawgs could become an instant classic. That's why this series is so much fun to follow.

Last night the storied series between the two programs continued at LSU's Alex Box Stadium. This time it was the Bulldogs of Mississippi State hanging on to take game one from the Tigers by a score of 12-8.

Probably the highlight of the night was the explosive power of both teams. As each team hit grand slam home runs. While the offensive power was there for the Tigers the defense was not what Coach Paul Mainieri expects to see. The Tiger defense committed three errors. That kind of play will not win you many games in a series like this one.

Another thing Tigers seemed to lack in last night's contest was timely hitting. The offense had no trouble putting men on base. They did have trouble getting them home. The Tigers left 13 runners stranded.

The two teams are now tied for second place in the SEC West so it's easy to see why this series is important to both sides. Game two of the three game series is scheduled for tonight. LSU is expected start Alex Lange on the mound, the Bulldogs will counter with Austin Sexton.