In the second game of a weekend set, the No. 11 Vanderbilt Commodores fell to the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 7-4. Following a convincing victory on Friday night, the Commodores came out of the gates slowly on Saturday afternoon, falling behind 5-0 early on as the entire lineup looked sluggish. Carter Holton earned the start for Vanderbilt, but was pulled after surrendering five runs and six hits in five innings pitched.
Vanderbilt’s offense woke up only following the departure of Mississippi State starting pitcher Brooks Auger. The senior was dominant on Saturday, allowing just two hits and striking out six across five innings of work. The Commodores were able to plate four runs against the Bulldogs’ relievers, but it was ultimately not enough.
Mississippi State’s offense was led by cleanup hitter Hunter Hines, who accounted for five of the Bulldogs’ seven runs batted in on Saturday. The junior launched two home runs off of Holton into right field before he was pulled, with his contributions alone outmatching the entire Vanderbilt lineup.
“[Carter Holton’s] start was actually pretty good. But one guy hurt us. Big time,” head coach Tim Corbin said after the game.
After a perfect top of the first inning, Holton ran into his first bit of trouble in the second frame. After getting Hines to a 1-2 count, the cleanup hitter ripped Holton’s next pitch over the right field wall for a solo home run. Holton was able to retire the next three hitters in succession, but the Commodores headed to the bottom of the second trailing by a run.
On the other side, the Commodores were unable to get much of anything going against Auger early on. After surrendering a double to RJ Austin in the top of the first, Auger sat down the next nine Vanderbilt hitters in order in an impressive opening three innings.
While Vanderbilt’s lineup struggled with the command of Auger, the Bulldogs were able to double their lead in the top of the fourth inning. After a one-out walk of Dakota Jordan, Hines returned to the plate and ripped a double deep into left field to bring Jordan home for his second RBI. Holton was able to escape the inning without any more damage, but the Commodores headed to the plate in the bottom of the fourth trailing by two.
Vanderbilt found some traction in their turn at the plate in the fourth inning, but ultimately were not able to capitalize. After Davis Diaz reached base on an infield single and advanced on a wild pitch, Jayden Davis earned a four-pitch walk to join him on the basepaths. With two on and two out, Troy LaNeve launched a ball to the warning track in left field that was caught to end the inning.
After a quiet fifth inning from both sides, the Bulldogs’ offense exploded in the top of the sixth to carry them away from Vanderbilt. After a leadoff single from David Mershon and another walk from Jordan, Hines returned to the plate. The cleanup hitter just seemed to have Holton figured out on Saturday, as he worked to a 2-1 count before crushing another home run into right field to put the Bulldogs up 5-0. Brennan Seiber entered for Vanderbilt in Holton’s relief and retired the side, but the damage was already done by the Bulldogs.
For all of Vanderbilt’s struggles early on, a three-run sixth inning brought the Commodores back into Saturday’s contest. After surrendering a walk to Jonathan Vastine, Auger was pulled from the contest and replaced by reliever Cam Schuelke. Following a walk by Diaz, Alan Espinal walked up to the plate and launched a no-doubt three-run home run to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 5-3.
After a 1-2-3 top of the seventh inning from Seiber, Vanderbilt was unable to chip away at Mississippi State’s lead despite a golden opportunity. Following a Matthew Polk double and Cam Kozeal single to start the inning, the Commodores looked poised to add to the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh. In a swift turn, however, Braden Holcomb grounded into a fielder’s choice before Vastine grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The Commodores returned to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning and were able to find some traction, plating one run. Vanderbilt looked poised for more in the inning, as Diaz brought home Austin with an RBI single and Espinal reached base on a HBP with no outs. Vanderbilt squandered the golden opportunity, though, as Calvin Hewett and LaNeve popped out before a Polk strikeout ended the inning.
The Bulldogs would add two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning courtesy of an RBI double and RBI single. With their last breath in the bottom of the ninth inning, Vanderbilt was unable to generate anything of note.
First pitch of the series’ rubber match will be tomorrow, April 27th at 1:00 p.m. CDT.
