Late inning work leads Diamond Dawgs to Saturday win at No. 11 Vanderbilt

Saturday’s game against No. 11 Vanderbilt was looking all too familiar for Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs built a 5-0 lead and turned things over to the bullpen and momentum started shifting. Unlike games against Florida, Ole Miss and others, however, State would make the plays to win.

Tyson Hardin and Tyler Davis stranded potential lead runs in the seventh and eighth inning and the bottom of the order came through in the ninth to extend the lead. It led to a 7-4 victory in Nashville to even up the series.

Auger, Hines do damage in first half of game

Though the game got tight late in the ball game, it was owned by the Bulldogs for the first five innings. Brooks Auger got a start for the second week in a row and started the game much like he did last weekend against Auburn.

The first 3.0 innings were relatively dominant. Last week Auger’s day ended with a rough fourth inning, but that wouldn’t be the case this time. The right hander got State 5.0 frames, gave up two hits, one run, two walks and struck out six to give the Bulldogs a chance.

Hunter Hines did the rest of the work on the offensive side. After State was held scoreless in nine innings on Friday, Hines broke that streak in second with a solo home run. He followed it with an RBI double in the fourth and then a three-run homer in the sixth to finish the game 3-for-4 with five RBI, a double and two homers.

“Man, what a good win,” coach Chris Lemonis said postgame on radio. “They had their ace on the mound and, luckily, we had Hunter Hines. He and Brooks Auger were the key of the game early. It was huge for (Hines). He’s been having an up and down year and he gave us three big swings against one of the best left-handed pitchers in the country.”

Arguably Vandy’s best pitcher in SEC play was on the mound in Carter Holton but the left hander wasn’t as effective as usual. State touched him for six hits, five runs and two walks as he struck out five batters and lasted 5.0 innings.

Freshman Brennan Seiber came in and shutdown the Bulldogs for 3.1 innings and gave up just one hit, one run and one walk with six strikeouts but State would get back on the board when he left.

Late-inning heroics on both sides deliver win

After a leadoff single in the ninth from Connor Hujsak and State clinging to a 5-4 lead, Vandy brought in closer Greyson Carter. With two outs, he would give up back-to-back RBI hits from the bottom of the order Ethan Pulliam and Joe Powell and the lead was extended.

“That one in the ninth gives you something extra,” Lemonis said of the ninth inning. “All SEC games are so hard to finish so the more you can score and push the lead out, it makes it easier on the dugout.”

Along with Hines getting multiple hits was Pulliam who was 2-for-4 with a run scored, an RBI and a double. The Starkville native is making his seventh-straight start at second base as a freshman and has had four multi-hit games with nine hits in the seven starts. Dakota Jordan finished with two walks and scored twice.

On the mound, Auger was followed up by Cam Schuelke who gave up a three-run home run in the sixth that would get the Commodores back in it. Tyson Hardin gave up four weak singles but got a big double play that got him out of the inning in the seventh.

Tyler Davis inherited two runners on base with one out and a run already home in the eighth but got a flyout and strikeout to end it. He pitched a scoreless ninth as well and just gave up the one hit with two outs.

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The win now puts State (28-15, 11-9 SEC) in position to steal a massive road series against the No. 11 Dores. Jurrangelo Cijntje will be on the mound with Vandy’s starter still to be determined. Game time is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday

“We’ve got a chance to get a big win Sunday on the road,” Lemonis said. “We’ll get us a good meal, some good rest and be ready to go.”