The Bulldog Box Score: MSU digs too big of a hole in loss to Kent State
Even in a bottom of the ninth inning in which Mississippi State entered trailing by seven runs, there was a buzz around Dudy Noble Field on Saturday. Why not, given that the Bulldogs had come from behind to win each of their previous three home games?
The positive feelings only grew as MSU trimmed its deficit to four and needed only one more baserunner to bring the possible tying run to the plate....but that's as close as the Bulldogs could get. On this day, the hole was just too deep to overcome.
No. 3 Mississippi State fell 9-5 to Kent State. It was a game that followed what has become a familiar script for the Bulldogs – falling behind early only to stage a furious comeback. This time though, the late rally wasn't big enough. The deficit was just too large.
"I don't think anybody on our team wants to start badly," Bulldogs head coach Chris Lemonis said. "It's just what's happening and it feels like every day it's the same story."
(WATCH CHRIS LEMONIS' FULL POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE BY CLICKING HERE.)
Only Saturday, the tale was different, at least a bit. There were no walk-off heroics to be found, or no mid-game big inning to save State. The Bulldogs (7-3) took too many blows early on to fully get back off the mat on Saturday against the Golden Flashes (4-3).
From another rocky outing by starting pitcher Christian Cerantola, to mustering only two runs on six hits over the first eight innings offensively, Saturday wasn't MSU's day. The Bulldogs were down 2-0 after two innings, then after State got one back in the third, Kent State tacked on two more runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to take total control.
Down 9-2 entering the ninth, the Bulldogs did at least go down swinging. Kyte McDonald provided a pinch-hit two-run double and Scotty Dubrule came through with an RBI single, but the comeback attempt stopped right there.
"I personally think we're one of the best teams in the country," State right fielder Tanner Allen said. "Did we play like it today? No. But everybody's going to get beat, man. It's a hard sport. It's a game of failures. So you've got to see how you react to it."
(WATCH TANNER ALLEN'S FULL POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE VIDEO AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE.)
It leaves MSU and Kent State with a rubber match to play in this weekend's three-game set. The series will be decided with a noon central game on Sunday. The Bulldogs are scheduled to start freshman right-hander Jackson Fristoe on the mound.
Before that though, let's take a more in-depth look at Saturday's MSU loss, with the boxscore, Cowbell Corner MSU MVPs and the Moment of the Game:
Kent State at Mississippi State boxscore
Offensive MVP: 2B Scotty Dubrule
Mississippi State's two-hole hitter was instrumental in a pair of Bulldog run-scoring innings on Saturday. Scotty Dubrule led off the eighth inning with a double, then came around to score. He followed that up by driving in a run with an RBI single in the ninth during MSU's comeback attempt that came up short.
Honorable mention here should go to Kyte McDonald though. He pinch hit in the ninth and in his first at-bat ever as a Bulldog, smacked a two-run double that at least gave MSU hope at some more last-inning magic.
Pitching MVP: RP Chase Patrick
Chase Patrick pitched 1.1 innings of hitless relief on Saturday in what was an incredibly strong performance. The only batter that reached against him came on a strikeout when catcher Logan Tanner couldn't handle the third-strike pitch. Patrick faced the minimum anyway though as Tanner made up for his previous miscue by gunning out the runner stealing. It's also noteworthy that Patrick actually entered the game in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and two outs. He then held down the fort by not allowing any of his inherited runners to score as he induced an inning-ending ground out. Not a bad day's work at all for Patrick.
Moment of the Game: Kent State's big 5th inning
Unfortunately for MSU, when Chase Patrick escaped fifth-inning trouble, the damage had already been done. The Golden Flashes scored three times in the frame prior to Patrick's arrival to stretch a 4-1 lead out to 7-1 against State relievers Stone Simmons and Davis Rokose. The Bulldogs saw an already-bad situation get worse and with State's offense not getting much of anything going, MSU couldn't recover.
Mississippi State fell 9-5 to Kent State on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics)
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