Bulldogs fall flat, lose series to No. 2 Vanderbilt

Dalton Middleton, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo
·2 min read

Apr. 25—NASHVILLE — Mississippi State jumped ahead early on Sunday afternoon, but the Bulldogs couldn't do enough against Vanderbilt's bullpen arms.

No. 2 Vanderbilt beat No. 4 MSU, 7-4, at Hawkins Field. Vanderbilt (31-7, 13-5 SEC) wins the series, 2-1, after winning Friday's opener.

Mississippi State drops to 29-10, 11-7 in SEC and will host Texas A&M next weekend at Dudy Noble Field.

The Bulldogs struck early on Vanderbilt starter Patrick Reilly.

Rowdey Jordan and Kamren James walked before Luke Hancock doubled to left field to put MSU up, 1-0. After a Logan Tanner walk loaded the bases, Scotty Dubrule singled to left field to put the Bulldogs up 3-0.

After another walk to load the bases, Reilly was pulled for Chris McElvain. McElvain got back-to-back outs to leave the bases loaded, then allowed only one run in 5 1/3 innings of work.

Tanner Allen hit a solo home run in the second inning to put Mississippi State up 4-0, but McElvain allowed only four more hits before he was pulled in the sixth inning.

Vanderbilt's top reliever Nick Maldonado pitched the final 3 1/3 innings and allowed only one base runner.

MSU starter Jackson Fristoe shut down Vanderbilt through the first three innings, but allowed a leadoff triple from Carter Young in the fourth inning. Young came around to score on a RBI groundout, then another run scored after a throwing error from Kamren James to make the score 4-2.

Vanderbilt took the lead off Fristoe in the fifth inning after a one-out single and walk. MSU pitching coach Scott Foxhall met with Fristoe on the mound to try and calm his nerves, then Young sent the second pitch of his at-bat over the right field wall to give Vandy the lead, 5-4.

The Commodores added their two runs in the sixth inning on a Enrique Bradfield Jr. two-run single.