New Orleans, LA- The Bulldog bats had struggled during two midweek games this week, but Mississippi State's offense poured it on tonight, dominating Tulane 19-2.
Last season these two teams faced off in Starkville, with the Bulldogs winning two out of the three-game series.
Landon Sims made his 3rd start tonight and was unhittable. The potential first-round draft pick had Tulane hitters looking silly, striking out 10 out of 11 batters to start the game, allowing no baserunners. Unfortunately for Sims, he had to come out of the game with an injury after 3.2 innings. After making a pitch, his hand began to shake, and he waived for the coaches to come out.
“He said his arm just didn’t feel right, so we took him out. I’m sure we’ll have him looked at, “ said Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis.
Tulane starter Tyler Hoffman has had a solid start to the season, allowing just 2 runs in each of his first 2 starts, but the Bulldog bats got to him early.
Chris Lemonis made a lot of tweaks to the lineup tonight. 1st baseman Luke Hancock batted in the leadoff spot for the first time this season. Brad Cumbest, who has played left field all of this season, got the start in center, and Von Seibert, a transfer from Pearl River C.C. made his first career start in left field.
“I wanted to make sure that when someone plays us, the first hitter is a gritty, tough out or hit, whatever it might be,” said Lemonis. “That’s what we get with Luke Hancock.”
Kellum Clark began his season in a slump, entering today at 0-16, but the sophomore right fielder got the Bulldogs on the board in the second inning with an RBI single. Von Seibert drove in a run with a single to left field in the third to give State an early 2-0 lead.
The fourth inning was where things went downhill for Hoffman. 3rd baseman Kamren James knocked in a run on a sac fly, and freshman designated hitter Hunter Hines went opposite field for a 3-run homer putting State up 6-0. After Hoffman would walk Logan Tanner, Tulane would turn to Chandler Welch to get them out of the inning.
Mercer transfer RJ Yeager broke his slump today with 2 hits, and got an RBI single to get them going in the fifth. Luke Hancock followed with an RBI single of his own, and Kamren James knocked in a run on a sac fly. Logan Tanner drove in 2 runs on a single, and Brad Cumbest followed it up with a 2-run double. Kellum Clark put the Bulldogs up 15-0, blasting a 2-run shot to right, his first homer of the year. When it was all said and done, State had scored 9 runs in the inning and forced Tulane to use 3 different pitchers.
Senior righty Brandon Smith relieved Sims, and had a solid outing going 3.1 innings and allowed just 3 hits and 1 walk. Tulane scored just 1 run off of Smith, a sac fly by right fielder Ethan Groff in the sixth.
State scored a pair of runs in the seventh as Hancock drove one in on a groundout, and Drew McGowan would draw a walk with the bases loaded to put the Bulldogs up 17-2.
Senior lefty Cam Tullar came in to pitch the eight for the Bulldogs, and after he hit a batter and walked a batter, Ethan Groff drove in a run with a double off the wall.
Another 2 runs came in for the Bulldogs in the ninth as Lane Forsythe would score on a wild pitch, and freshman Slate Alford knocked in a run on a groundout.
Drew Talley made his season debut for the Bulldogs in the ninth. The senior retired the Tulane side with 3 strikeouts.
The Bulldogs will look to take the series win tomorrow. Preston Johnson is set to start for Mississippi State, and former Mississippi State pitcher Dylan Carmouche is expected to start for Tulane.
