Mississippi State four-run 11th ends Vandy's season in Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Mississippi State scored four runs in the top of the 11th to end Vanderbilt's season with a 10-6 victory over the Commodores in the Nashville Super Regional in a contest that spanned Saturday night and Monday morning at Hawkins Field.

Tanner Allen's double off Vandy's Tyler Brown was the go-ahead run, and Luke Alexander blooped a two-run single later in the inning.

The Commodores had come from three down in the ninth on a solo home run from Pat DeMarco and a two-run shot from Ethan Paul that tied it.

But the Commodores left 17 men on base and struck out 16 times, leading to their un-doing. Vandy left the bases loaded in the first, fourth and eighth, and had a man on second with one out in the 1oth, but couldn't close.

A late bullpen collapse also contributed.

Brown, who had uncharacteristic control troubles, walked three (one intentionally), gave up two hits, and was charged with three runs (all earned) in two-thirds of an inning.

In fact, the Commodores had trouble putting away hitters all evening.

Excepting the seventh and eighth, when Chandler Day retired MSU in order, MSU put at least one man on in every inning. VU struck out just seven Bulldog hitters in 11 innings of work, while walking nine.

The Commodores threw 209 pitches to MSU's 235.

With the game tied at 3 in the ninth, lefty, Jackson Gillis came on to turn around Jake Mangum, who hits better from the left side. But Mangum went the opposite way on the first pitch and dumped one into right field to score the go-ahead run.

Rowdey Jordan's sacrifice fly added another, and Mangum later came around to score on a wild pitch for a three-run cushion.

Philip Clarke lined out to right to start the ninth, but DeMarco hit a long homer to left, and then Harrison Ray just missed a homer to left before singling.

Paul then hit a high drive just into the bleachers in right to tie the game with one out.

MSU DH Jordan Westburg and Mangum started the third with singles off starter Mason Hickman, with Westburg taking third on Mangum's hit and scoring on left fielder Jordan's sacrifice fly to center.

Hunter Stovall grounded a single through third to score Mangum before Elijah MacNamee grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Vandy's Stephen Scott led off the bottom of the inning by lining a 2-2 pitch from starter Jacob Billingsley just into the bleachers near the 375-foot sign in left.

In the fourth, Ray took a 2-1 pitch in the leg, stole second, and took third when Paul struck out, but the ball got by catcher Dustin Skelton for a passed ball and Vandy had men on the corners.

Julian Infante flied to left, scoring Ray. Austin Martin followed with a single through short, giving Vandy its first lead.

Scott and J.J. Bleday then walked, loading the bases and forcing a pitching change. Right-hander Cole Gordon then struck Kaiser out swinging on three pitches.

Vandy's Chandler Day, on for the fifth, ran into control trouble in the sixth after he hit MacNamee leading off and then later brought him in with a wild pitch wide of Scott.

Day had pitched well until running into trouble in the ninth, and then Gillis came on and allowed two of the three runs charged to Day to score, plus the one charged to him when Mangum came around.

Vanderbilt finishes its season at 35-27.

The game, scheduled to start at 5 Central, didn't begin until 7:04 due to a weather delay.

The Commodores started the same lineup and batting order as they had in Game 2.

Hickman sat at 90 with his fastball in the first.

Duvall, who pinch-hit in the ninth, stayed in to catch. Scott moved to left, DeMarco went to center and Martin, to first.

Attendance was 3,626, the 113th sellout in Hawkins Field history.

MSU 3: Westburg scores on Jordan's sacrifice fly to center. VU, 1-0

MSU 3: Stovall single through third scored Mangum. MSU, 2-0

VU 3: Scott home run to left-center. MSU, 2-1

VU 4: Infante sacrifice fly to left scored Ray. Tied-2

VU 4: Martin's single scored Paul. VU, 3-2

MSU 6: MacNamee scored on Day's wild pitch. Tied-3

MSU 9: Mangum double to right scored Alexander. MSU, 4-3

MSU 9: Jordan's sacrifice fly to right scored Anderson. MSU, 5-3

MSU 9: Mangum scored on Gillis's wild pitch. MSU, 6-3

VU 9: DeMarco home run to left. VU, 6-4

VU 9: Paul two-run homer to right. Tied-6

MSU 11: Allen double to right scored Hatcher. MSU, 7-6

MSU 11: Foscue walks to score Jordan. MSU, 8-6

MSU 11: Alexander singles to shallow right, scoring Stovall and Allen. MSU, 10-6