2023 Frisco Classic game 1 story
Game two of the Frisco Classic featured an intriguing pitching matchup. Ohio State starter Isaiah Coupet (1-1) entered the game with an impressive 18 strikeouts and only one walk in 13 innings pitched. Mississippi State countered with ambidextrous pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (2-0), who entered the game having not given up an earned run.
Cijntje started strong with two strikeouts in the inning. Coupet uncharacteristically struggled in the first inning, walking two while throwing 27 pitches. Bulldog fans felt that perhaps Mississippi State could get into Ohio State's bullpen early. Coupet came back in the second inning and looked much more like a pitcher with 18 strikeouts and only one walk on the young season, striking out the side.
In the postgame press conference, Bulldog skipper Chris Lemonis said he was pleased with the start by Cijntje, noting they were keeping the freshman on a pitch count based on the total number of pitches thrown, not on a left arm or right arm basis. Cijnte gave up one unearned run in four innings pitched, impressive for a true freshman earning a Friday night start.
By the end of the game, Ohio State pitching had walked a dozen, struck out a dozen but only gave up three hits. Conversely, the Mississippi State staff walked eight but struck out 15 Buckeyes. Half of State's walks came in the fourth inning, when the Buckeyes got a timely bases loaded double from Tyler Pettorini off the top of the wall in right field to take a 5-1 lead.
After starting the game with two double plays, the Bulldog defense derailed in the seventh inning. Just as it looked like reliever Colby Holcombe might get out of the inning, three errors helped Ohio State plate three more runs in the seventh inning, effectively putting the game out of reach. Lemonis noted that coming in to the season he was not concerned about defense at all, noting that the lapses seem to come in bunches - "We're eventually going to have to become a good defensive team".
Shortstop Lane Forsythe was the only Bulldog effective at the plate going 1-2 with 2 RBI and 3 walks. Forsythe said as a team "We didn't see the ball well tonight, but I think we're going to be back on track tomorrow". Having left 16 runners on base tonight, the Bulldogs will have to do much better at the plate tomorrow against 2022 CWS participant Oklahoma. First pitch is at 1 PM Central Time.
