The Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-3-1) knocked Oregon starting pitcher Matt Krook out of the game before the end of the first inning in Starkville Saturday. It was the worst game of the redshirt sophomore’s stellar career, and it snowballed into a long day for the team.
Oregon trailed 9-0 at one point. The Ducks (8-4) scored three times in the eighth and ninth innings, but stranded the bases loaded with no outs in the ninth to fall, 9-3.
Krook’s outing got out of control in a hurry. With runners on second and third and two outs, Krook walked four batters and pegged another. Two of the walks came with full counts; the other two came on four pitches.
Isaiah Carranza relieved Krook after Mississippi State batted around the order once. He walked in a run the first batter he faced but got the next batter to fly out to center to end the inning, although the damage was already done. Mississippi State led 5-0 after one frame.
Krook was charged with all five runs, all five of which were earned.
Mississippi State (11-3-1) added pairs of runs on Carranza and Parker Kelly in fourth and seventh innings to increase its lead to 9-0.
Tim Susnara crossed the plate on a wild pitch and Matt Kroon scored on Jak Bennett’s RBI single in the eighth. Daniel Patzlaff came home when Kroon was hit by a pitch with bases loaded and no outs in the ninth, but Kale Breaux retired the next three Ducks to seal the win for Mississippi State.
In his three prior starts this season, Krook allowed just five runs on six hits, while holding his opponents to a .107 average and maintaining a 1.59 ERA.
The ability to overpower hitters has not been an issue for Krook in his first season back since undergoing Tommy John surgery, but accuracy has. He has 28 strikeouts and 15 walks in 17.2 innings, plus hit six batsmen, including four last week against UC Santa Barbara.
With Mississippi State entering the series with collectively hitting .317, if the Ducks were going to win this series, it was going to be with pitching and defense. But Oregon’s two best pitchers, Cole Irvin and Krook, were exposed on consecutive days. Irvin was rocked for five runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings yesterday, and Krook recorded just two outs today before manager George Horton yanked him.
Follow Kenny Jacoby on Twitter @KennyJacoby