Before the first pitch was thrown, both teams engaged in a “standoff”. After the national anthem was played, they stood in front of their respective dugouts and stared at each other. It was kind of like a blinking contest because the first one to retreat back into their dugout lost (I guess). The umps told State to go in first…foreshadowing for a night of bad calls against the Dawgs.
Kendall Gravemen only went 3 2/3, giving up 2 runs before giving way to Nick Routt. Daryl Norris gave State a 4-2 lead with a 3-run homer in the 4th, and then the bad calls started.
Up 4-3, Wes Rea came up with the bases loaded and 2 out. He hit a ground ball the shortstop who bobbled it and threw to 2nd to get the force. The runner was called out, but he was clearly safe.
That should have made it 5-3 with Norris coming up and the bases loaded. Instead it was the end of the inning.
In the top of the 6th, Luis Pollorena had some words with the home plate umpire after some questionable ball and strike calls.
And then the Kentucky batter sticks his leg out to get hit by the pitch when it looked to be a borderline strike call. Mitch Slauter about lost it on this play.
In the bottom of the 6th, Tyler Fullerton was up with a 3-2 count and runners on 1st and 2nd. He gets a called strike 3 on a pitch that was way low and inside.
Next up is Hunter Renfroe, State’s hottest hitter, who launches a ball that looks to be a home run but he is robbed by UK’s left fielder Bryan Adams on a great play.
If Fullerton would’ve walked like he should have that would have at least been a sac fly and MSU would’ve gone up 5-3.
As it turns out, none of this mattered because the Dawgs won anyway. Unfortunately we’ve had to do battle with the umps the last few weeks. Great job to overcome it all and beat a really good team in Kentucky – and take the series. Oh, and Johnathon Holder gets another save – his 5th – and still has a 0.00 E.R.A.
