Vandy Outscores State To Take Game 1, 15-8

Friday, April 11

Starkville

6:30 p.m.

Mississippi State

14-19, 0

Vanderbilt

22-10, 0

Vanderbilt

Mississippi State

Baseball Bulldogs Sweep Nicholls To Improve To 7-1 On Young Season

Vandy Outscores State To Take Game 1, 15-8

April 11, 2008 | Baseball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

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STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The visiting Vanderbilt Commodores reeled off 11 straight runs to take a 15-8 victory from Mississippi State in Southeastern Conference baseball action Friday night at Dudy Noble Field.

Thanks in part to a two-run home run from Connor Powers and solo home run from Tyler Moore, the Bulldogs actually held a 7-3 lead after four innings of play. The 13th-ranked Commodores stormed back with two runs in the fifth inning, four runs in the sixth inning and five runs in the seventh inning. Vanderbilt pitching also strung together three scoreless innings as the Commodores rallied to snap a three-game losing streak in conference play.

Vanderbilt is now 22-10 overall and 6-6 in conference play, while MSU fell to 14-19 and 3-10.

In the MSU first inning, Jason Nappi drew a two-out walk and scored on Powers' 11th home run of the year. An inning later, MSU scored twice again. Johnny Allen and Jet Butler started things with back-to-back two-out singles. Each scored on a two-run single by Nick Hardy.

Moore's seventh home run of the year ran the M-State lead to 5-1 in the home half of the third inning.

Vanderbilt plated a pair of unearned runs on a two-run double by Shea Robin in the fourth inning. The first of two MSU errors opened the door for those scores.

The hosts quickly answered when three straight bunts set up a two-run double by Powers in the home half of the fourth inning.

The Commodores then rallied strong. Brad French started the four-run sixth inning with a leadoff single. Robin followed with an RBI-double, chasing Crosswhite. An RBI-single by David Macias tied the game 7-7. Dominic de la Osa's double down the left field line gave the Commodores a 9-7 advantage.

A three-run home run by Vanderbilt pinch-hitter Parker Hanks removed all doubt one inning later.

MSU finished the game with 11 hits. Powers hit his fifth home run in three games and collected his second 4-RBI game of the season. Grant Hogue and Jet Butler also had multiple hits for the Bulldogs.

Vanderbilt finished with 18 hits. Macias led VU with four hits and two RBI. Pedro Alvarez and de la Osa each had three hits for the Commodores. Robin and Hanks each drove in three runs.

Mike Minor (4-2) recorded the pitching win. Minor threw 112 pitches in six innings of work. The sophomore left-hander allowed nine hits and seven runs (all earned), with six strikeouts and three walks. Russell Brewer, Sean Bierman and Mark Lamm threw an inning apiece for the Commodores. The VU bullpen allowed two hits and one run (earned) over those three innings, with six strikeouts and one walk.

Michael Bubsy (0-3) took the loss in relief of starter Crosswhite. Crosswhite worked five innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs (four earned), with two walks and one strikeout. Busby worked 1-1/3 innings, being roughed up for six hits and five runs (all earned), with one walk and one strikeout. Andy Wilson closed the contest.

The Bulldogs and Commodores resume their weekend series with a 2 p.m. start Saturday at Dudy Noble Field. Vanderbilt is scheduled to start freshman right-hander Caleb Cotham (4-2, 3.82 ERA), while MSU is scheduled to start sophomore right-hander Ricky Bowen (2-3, 6.64).