Nashville, TENN--It was gut-check time for Vanderbilt on Sunday.

It felt like Coach Tim Corbin's team needed this one and looked like it may have it. Until Hunter Hines struck again with a two-run shot to left field that sealed Vanderbilt's fate in an 8-7 loss at Hawkins Field.

"It's a kick in the nuts," Corbin said. "You play that hard, you work yourself back into it. It was a tale of two games. But it will make us better some way, somehow."

That was Vanderbilt's second series loss in its last three tries.

Mississippi State was first on the board on Sunday after a back-breaking two-run double by Connor Hujsak that ended Vanderbilt starter Devin Futrell's day after 2.2 innings and 63 pitches.

Futrell's start marked his first weekend appearance since March 24.

The Vanderbilt starter got out of some jams early but couldn't do it for a third-straight inning as Mississippi State got it rolling while down to its final strike in the third.

The Floodgates opened even further as Ryan Ginther came in to relieve Futrell, hit a batter and gave up a three-run homer to Mississippi State third baseman Logan Kohler that made this one 5-0.

If only Futrell could've put away Hujsak earlier in the inning...

Mississippi State tacked on another one off of Ginther in the fourth on a David Mershon homer.

The Commodores stayed alive through two innings of scoreless, two-hit baseball from Luke Guth, though.

Those innings payed off as Vanderbilt finally got on the board in the sixth as Jonathan Vastine took the team lead in doubles to drive home Braden Holcomb, who also reached on one.

The Commodores weren't done in the inning, though. RJ Austin tacked on another one with a single that snuck through the middle and scored Vastine, making this one 6-2. Austin was driven in a few batters later by an Alan Espinal single through the left side of the infield.

Espinal seems to be the Vanderbilt player that has most consistently done things when it matters most lately.

Perhaps the most the call had been answered all season to that point came as Troy LaNeve stepped up to the plate later in the inning.

The Vanderbilt left fielder, who hadn't yet recorded a hit in nine at bats this weekend, took one for a ride to the left field bleachers to tie this one up 6-6.

LaNeve just seems to have a knack for those type of moments.

Vanderbilt stepped up again in the seventh as it loaded the bases with a Holcomb single, a Vastine fielders' choice that didn't allow Mississippi State to record an out and an RJ Austin infield single.

Espinal put the ball in play with one out and gave Vanderbilt its first lead of the day as Holcomb scored as a result of a fielders' choice. Vanderbilt left three on in the inning as a result of a LaNeve foul popup, that one loomed large.

Vanderbilt freshman lefty Miller Green went three innings and struck out four and entered the ninth with a near perfect outing. The freshman reliever was exceptional. Until it fell apart.

Mississippi State shortstop David Mershon singled and advanced to second on a pick off that went out of play. Green had Mershon on second and Mississippi State down to its last out.

That's when disaster struck.

Mississippi State first baseman Hunter Hines got all of a ball that flew over the right field fence and made you think "that's why he's on the draft boards."

That one put Vanderbilt down 8-7.

The Commodores went down quietly in the ninth and dropped an important series at Hawkins Field.

This weekend's losses broke Vanderbilt's 13-series winning streak at home.

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