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The Bulldog Box Score: Recapping MSU's Sunday win over Tulane

Stats, highlights, game MVPs and more
Joel Coleman|
The Bulldog Box Score: Recapping MSU's Sunday win over Tulane
The Bulldog Box Score: Recapping MSU's Sunday win over Tulane

A thrilling weekend for Mississippi State ended in fitting fashion for the maroon and white. MSU's Tanner Allen delivered a two-run, walk-off single as the Bulldogs defeated Tulane 5-4 on Sunday at Dudy Noble Field. It capped a series win for State over the Green Wave and put an exclamation point on a competitive weekend filled with intensity and a little verbal back-and-forth between the two schools.

If you're looking to catch up on Sunday (or just relive it), you've come to the right place. To start, be sure to see the video at the top of this page to hear from MSU left fielder Drew McGowan as he recaps all of Sunday's drama. After that, check out these highlights and watch as the Sunday black uniforms again held magic for State:

Now, let's take a look at the numbers. Here's the complete box score from Sunday's game, followed by Cowbell Corner's Game MVPs and the Moment of the Game:

Tulane at Mississippi State boxscore

Offensive MVP: RF Tanner Allen

Starting your day 0-for-4 with three strikeouts doesn't exactly bode well for your chances to be an MVP of any kind in a particular ballgame. But when folks think back to MSU's Sunday win over Tulane, few will remember Allen's struggles up to the ninth inning.

Allen, of course, played the hero for the Bulldogs. With Mississippi State down to its final strike, Allen roped a 3-2 fastball into left-centerfield, easily scoring Drew McGowan and Scotty Dubrule to win the game for the Bulldogs. If Allen swings through that pitch, MSU loses. If he pops it up or hits it at someone, State goes down. It was do or die for Allen. He of course delivered and had even a limited Dudy Noble Field crowd sounding like the place was packed.

Pitching MVP: RP Brandon Smith

Brandon Smith's return from Tommy John surgery just about couldn't be off to a better start. He continued his early-season success on Sunday. 

Smith tossed 2.1 innings of relief without surrendering a run. He also struck out four. Smith was actually in line to earn Sunday's win before Tulane scored a pair of ninth-inning runs off Spencer Price that necessitated Allen's heroics in the bottom of the final frame.

And Smith had a little edge to him too. On a chippy weekend, Smith let the Tulane bench hear about it when he ended one inning with a strikeout. 

So far in 2021, Smith is both talking a little talk and backing it up by walking a successful walk. He has a 1.29 earned run average over seven innings of work. He has struck out eight men and opponents are hitting a mere .160 against him.

Moment of the Game: Allen walks it off

I mean, could there be anything else? Sure, there were other memorable moments Sunday. There was Luke Hancock's RBI double to get State on the board. There was Kamren James' two-run homer that followed and gave MSU a 3-2 lead at the time. But when you're down to your final strike of the game and winning or losing is decided by what happens on one pitch and you come through? Yeah, that's the moment of the game anytime that happens. 

Around the horn

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out the following:

CLICK HERE TO READ HOW THREE WORDS TURNED TANNER ALLEN'S DAY AROUND (AND VIEW HIS POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MSU HEAD COACH CHRIS LEMONIS' POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE

CLICK HERE FOR INFO ON MSU'S UPCOMING GAME AGAINST SOUTHERN MISS AFTER WEATHER HAS NECESSITATED A SCHEDULE CHANGE

Thank you for coming to Cowbell Corner for coverage of Mississippi State sports. Be sure to follow Cowbell Corner on Twitter (@SIBulldogs) by clicking here, and like it on Facebook by clicking here. 

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Joel Coleman
JOEL COLEMAN

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