Sunday recap: A Bulldog no-hitter

Fristoe perfect through six, Young continues to rake and the SEC gets seven sweeps

MSU's Jackson Fristoe, courtesy of Mississippi State athletics

Mississippi State throws combined no-hitter 

Mississippi State threw a combined no-hitter in is 13-0 win over Kent State on Sunday afternoon at Dudy Noble.

Jackson Fristoe, Landon Sims, Mikey Tepper and Cam Tullar combined on the school’s first no-hitter in 22 years. Fristoe tossed six perfect innings in his third career start and recorded eight strikeouts. Sims worked a scoreless seventh inning with two strikeouts, but allowed two bases runners after an error and walk. Tepper retired all five batters he faced with three strikeouts. Tullar came on with two outs in the ninth and issued one walk before recording the final out a fly out.

“It was exciting,” MSU coach Chris Lemonis said. “Around the fifth or sixth inning, you start to realize it because you’ve got to start making some pitching decisions, and in our situation right now it’s really hard. In some years, you’d play for the no-hitter, it’s something exciting for the fans and [the players], but in our world we only have so many opportunities to play guys. It’s a big roster, so you try to get guys in there. 

“When [Jackson Fristoe] got to 85 pitches we felt like that’s where we wanted him at. He’s got such a bright future and you don’t want to push him, and the game was still in check at that point. We bring in Landon [Sims] and then it gets expanded. Tip your hat to all our pitchers today and we made three amazing plays on defense to keep that no-hitter intact.”

The Bulldogs got several defensive gems from left fielder Drew Gowan (diving catch), first baseman Brandon Pimentel and shortstop Lane Forsythe help preserve the no-hitter.

MSU threw its first no-hitter since March 16, 1999 in a 21-1 win over Alcorn State. Scott Polk, Justin Estel and Brian Compton combined on the no-hitter against the Braves.

It was the second no-hitter by a Division I pitcher this season. Ohio University junior left-hander Joe Rock threw a 7-inning no-hitter in the Bobcats 6-0 win over Morehead State in the home opener on Feb. 26. Rock had six strikeouts and walked two batters in the no-hitter.

The MSU offense scored 13 runs on 16 hits and scored at least one run in six of eight innings. Four players had multi-hit games, led by third baseman Karmen James, who went 3-for-5 with one double, one home run and five RBIs. He blasted a 355-foot home run for his fourth homer of the season in the fifth inning.

Young's hitting streak reaches 30

Florida third-year sophomore Jacob Young strolled to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning in the Gators 8-0 win on Sunday against Florida A&M.

With the game in hand, Young, who was hitless in four plate appearances, led off the bottom of the eighth inning with an infield single to set the Gators’ all-time record with a 30-game hitting streak. He broke the previous record of 29-game hitting streak held by Tim Olson in 2000.

The 30-game hitting streak has spanned for 646 days, dating back to the 2019 NCAA Regionals. Young went 1-for-5 in the Gators loss to Dallas Baptist to close the 2019 season. He hit safely in all 17 games in the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season. He has hit safely in all 12 games this season.

The 30-game hitting streak if the fourth-longest multi-season hitting streak in SEC annals behind Vanderbilt's Ryan Flaherty (36 games in 2006-07) and Warner Jones (32 games in 2003-04), and Mississippi State's Rex Buckner (31 games in 1992-93).

Florida completed the three-game sweep with an 8-0 win on Sunday. The Gators outscored the Rattlers 23-3 in the series.

Jud Fabian went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBIs to lead the offense on Sunday.

Hunter Barco, Tommy Manning, Jordan Carrion, Christian Scott and Franco Aleman combined on the five-hit shutout. Barco tossed five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. In all, the Gators recorded 16 strikeouts in the win.

Weekend rewind   

The SEC posted a 30-13 (.697) this past weekend. The SEC had 10 series wins, including seven sweeps. Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt all swept their weekend opponents. Alabama, Georgia and Miss. State had series wins. Auburn, Kentucky and LSU all dropped home series. Missouri went 0-4 at the Frisco College Baseball Classic.

The theme for the weekend was shut outs and strikeouts. 

 SEC teams recorded 12 shutouts over the weekend. A total of 11 different teams pitched a shutout this weekend, including back-to-back shutouts by South Carolina against Mercer on Saturday and Sunday. Alabama and Vanderbilt accounted for the two shutouts on Friday. There were five shutouts on Saturday by Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Texas A&M and South Carolina. There were five more shutouts on Sunday by Arkansas, Florida, Miss. State, South Carolina and Tennessee.

There were 21 double-digit strikeout games on the weekend, including eight games with 15 or more strikeouts. Texas A&M had a 21 strikeouts in the win over New Mexico State on Saturday. The 21 strikeouts fell one short of the A&M single-game record. South Carolina had 44 strikeouts in the three games with Mercer, including 17 strikeouts on Saturday and 16 punch outs on Sunday. Vanderbilt had 17 strikeouts in the series finale with Illinois Chicago on Sunday.

Arkansas, South Carolina remain perfect   

Arkansas and South Carolina are the only two undefeated teams in the SEC. 

Arkansas is 10-0 for the third time in program history (1996, 2003 and 2021) and second time under head coach Dave Van Horn. South Carolina is 10-0 for the first time since 2016.

Arkansas swept Murray State in Fayetteville, with two comb-from-behind wins and a shutout in Sunday’s series finale. 

The Razorbacks used six pitchers in the 6-0 win over Murray State on Sunday. Lael Lockhart tossed five scoreless innings for the win. He allowed one hit, one walk and struck out six batters. The UA bullpen allowed one hit over four scoreless frames with five strikeouts and four walks.

Second baseman Robert Moore went 3-for-4 and scored one run to continue hi solid weekend on offense. Third baseman Jacob Nesbitt returned to the UA lineup and made his presence felt with a 3-run home run in the fourth inning.

South Carolina allowed only one run in the series sweep over Mercer, including back-to-back shutouts in the final two games of the series. The Gamecocks closed the series with a 1-0 win on Sunday. 

Julian Bosnic, Jack Mahoney and Brett Kerry combined on the two-hit shutout. Bosnic threw 5 2/3 no-hit innings with nine strikeouts, but control issues led to four walks. Jack Mahoney allowed one hit over 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. Kerry allowed one hit and struck out three in the ninth for his first save. The trio combined for 16 strikeouts.

Third baseman Joe Satterfield’s infield ground out scored first baseman David Mendham with only run of the game in the fourth inning.

For the weekend, South Carolina pitchers allowed one run and 13 hits with 33 strikeouts in 27 innings. 

Elko leads Rebels to sweep of Belmont   

Ole Miss third baseman Tim Elko played an instrumental role in the Rebels three-game sweep of Belmont.

Elko went 7-for-11 (.636) in the series with five runs scored, one double, three home runs and nine RBIs. He belted a pair of home runs and had four RBIs in Sunday’s 8-7 walk-off win. He hit a solo home run in the first inning and added a 3-run homer in the seventh. 

Ole Miss hit four home runs on Sunday, but needed a walk-off single by catcher Hayden Dunhurst in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win. Ole Miss won in its last at-bat on Saturday when left fielder Kevin Graham hit a go-ahead homer in the bottom of the eighth.

Elko went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, one double, one home run and five RBIs in the series-opening win over Belmont on Friday. He blasted a 3-run homer in the third inning.

Leiter dominates, leads Vanderbilt to sweep

One day after teammate Kumar Rocker struck out 11, Jack Leiter did the same. Leiter gave up two runs (one earned) over five innings as Vanderbilt captured a 4-2 win over Illinois-Chicago.

Freshman Jack Bulger hit his first career home run, a two-run shot in the fourth.

The Commodores now lead the SEC with a 2.00 ERA.

Tennessee waltz

Tennessee completed a three-game sweep of Georgia State with a 7-0 win on Sunday.

 Five UT pitchers combined on the 6-hit shutout with 10 strikeout and five walks. Mark McLaughlin started and worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings with two hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Elijah Pleasants earned his second win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings and three strikeouts.

Jake Rucker and Drew Gilbert both hit 2-run homers in the third inning. 

Rucker went 2-for-4 with one run scored, one home run and four RBIs. For the weekend, Rucker went 6-for-12 with one home run and six RBIs.

Tennessee’s starting pitching was also stellar. The Vols starters worked 16 2/3 innings and allowed one run and 12 hits with 13 strikeouts and five walks.

Elsewhere around the SEC

Alabama scored 10 runs in the third inning and cruised to a 21-3 series-clinching win at the College of Charleston. The 21 runs scored tied for the most by the Crimson Tide on the Brad Bohannon era. UA beat Samford 21-2 on April 9, 2019. Six Alabama players at least two hits and four players drove in at least two runs. The Crimson Tide designated hitter tandem of Owen Diodati and Will Patota went 2-for-5 with four runs, one double, one home run and seven RBIs. Diodati smacked a grand slam to highlight the 10-run third inning. Catcher Sam Praytor went 2-for-3 with three runs scored, one double and four RBIs. Outfielder Andrew Pickney went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, one double and three RBIs.

Auburn dropped a home series to Boston College after Sunday’s 11-9 loss in 10 innings. The Tigers blew a 9-1 lead after the Eagles scored eight runs in the top of the ninth to force extra innings. After three scoreless innings, the AU bullpen was touched for 10 runs on the nine hits in the final two frames. Freshman Cam Hill allowed five runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning. Redshirt junior Peyton Glavine allowed a two-run home run in the 10^th inning and took the loss. Auburn allowed six home runs in the series.

Georgia first baseman Chaney Rogers hit a walk-off 3-run home run in the bottom of the ninth give the Bulldogs a 7-4 win over North Florida. The Bulldogs rebounded from a series-opening loss to take the series from the Osprey.

Kentucky dropped its first series of the season to Ball State. The Wildcats lost 4-3 in the series finale on Sunday. UK starter Zack Lee allowed four runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings in the loss. Ball State scored all four runs in the sixth inning.

LSU dropped a home series to Oral Roberts after suffering a 3-1 setback in Sunday’s rubber game. The Tigers bullpen allowed two runs in the eighth inning and one run in the ninth in the loss. Will Hellmers was charged with the loss after he allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning. LSU scored its only run on throwing error in the fourth inning.

Missouri lost all four games at the Frisco College Baseball Classic this weekend, including an 8-4 loss to Arizona on Sunday. The Tigers have lost five straight games and have been outscored 44-15.

Texas A&M scored six runs over the final three innings to post a 7-1 win over New Mexico State and complete the three-game sweep. A&M catcher Mikey Hoehner snapped a 1-1 tie on the sixth inning with an RBI single. Centerfielder Logan Britt led the offense with three hits and four RBIs. He delivered an RBI single in the seventh inning and 2-run single in the eighth. Redshirt freshman Jonathan Childress shined on the mound once again. He allowed one run and five hits in six innings for his second win of the season. He recorded 10 strikeouts and walked one.