Leading 3-0 heading into the final two innings, Mississippi State blew their three run advantage against Florida thanks to a disastrous eighth inning.
The title says it all. Mississippi State entered the eighth inning leading Florida 3-0. Fifty minutes later, the half inning ended with the Bulldogs trailing 11-3.
Cole Gordon got the start for Mississippi State and had his best outing of his career. Gordon pitched seven shutout innings giving up no runs on three hits, seven strikeouts, and only one walk.
Gordon would be responsible for one run in the eighth inning after giving up a lead off single and was replaced by Spencer Price.
FINAL | State takes on Arkansas tonight at approx. 7:30 p.m. CT in #SECTourney Elimination Game.
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) May 26, 2017
Presented by @MSStateDistance. #HailState pic.twitter.com/fs9WEZagF1
It would take a combination of five pitchers to get out of the eighth inning.
After Spencer Price struggled with command and allowing a run to score, Andy Cannizaro turned to Spencer Price to get them out of the inning. Self struck out Florida’s Maldononado to get the second out of the inning with the game tied at three, and looked like the Bulldogs were going to get out of the inning with a tie.
But that wasn’t the case.
A walk and a single blew the game open to 6-3 and Florida didn’t stop there. The Gators would go on to hang eleven runs on the board to put the Bulldogs away for good.
State started this inning up 3-0. Now, Florida is halfway to run-ruling the Dogs.
— Joel Coleman (@JoelTColeman) May 26, 2017
Mississippi State took a 3-0 lead with one run frames in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Hunter Vansau had batted in two of those runs with a RBI triple in the fourth and a RBI double in the sixth. Josh Lovelady scored a run in the fifth on a wild pitch from Jackson Kower. But, State’s habit of leaving runners on base caught up.
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Kower got the start for Florida where he allowed three runs — two earned — on nine hits and four strikeouts in seven innings of work. Kowar was able to pitch around trouble early in the game, and was able to avoid the big inning all game long.
Mississippi State will be back in action tonight in a rematch with Arkansas following the conclusion of South Carolina and Kentucky.