Bednar gives MSU another solid start
AUBURN, Ala. – It took Will Bednar a couple of weeks before he was ready to roll for Mississippi State and he's worked his way up to give the Bulldogs more and more every week.
Just as Bednar seems to get better each week, he got better just about every inning on Saturday to help the Bulldogs to a series win at Auburn. He threw the longest outing of any MSU starter this season in the 7-2 win as he went seven innings and gave up just one run along the way.
“I told the ball club and Will after the game, I thought it was his best outing in our uniform,” State head coach Lemonis said of Bednar. “He's such a power pitcher (that) sometimes he's dominating early, but seven innings and I didn't think he came off his numbers. He threw great sliders, he mixed the fastball and he's really starting to us his changeup which is a nice piece of his development against the left handers.”
There weren't many mistakes for the second-year freshman in the game, but he made one big one in the second inning on a two-strike pitch that was deposited over the left centerfield wall for a solo home run with two outs. That homer tied the game at 1-1 but just as they did the previous night, the Bulldogs answered with home runs of its own.
Kamren James hit a two-run shot in the third inning and Tanner Allen hit a three-run bomb in the fourth to give Bednar all he needed. From that point on, he cruised.
What really gave the talented hurler confidence was the play by his defense. With the Tigers threatening to score in the third inning with two runners in scoring position and just one out, Bednar got a flyout to left field and Brayland Skinner hauled it in. Skinner then threw a ball down the third base line to catcher Logan Tanner, who applied the tag and got Bednar out of the jam.
“That was huge,” Bednar said. “It was really a big moment in the game.
It was a heck of a throw by Brayland and a great tag by Lotan. That was a big confidence booster and being able to cruise the rest of the game.”
After that double play, Bednar ended the game retiring 13 of the final 14 batters he faced with 12-straight put down during that stretch. Along with the seven innings and just one run surrendered, he scattered just four hits, didn't walk a batter and had seven strikeouts.
Bednar has steadily worked up his stamina from one inning against Kent State, two against Grambling and four against Eastern Michigan to five against LSU and Arkansas and six last week. He's now surrendered just 18 hits and seven earned runs in 30 innings as his earned run average dropped to 2.10 for the season. He's also had an incredible 48 strikeouts to just four walks this season as he's not allowing free passes.
The work by the starters has gift-wrapped games to the bullpen in the first two against Auburn. Christian Macleod and Bednar have combined for 13 innings, nine hits, three runs, 13 strikeouts and two walks and both left the game with leads of three runs or more. Jackson Fristoe will look to do something similar today as State tries to sweep backto-back series.