Report: Bulldogs looking to transfer
HOOVER, Ala. – Cole Gordon's performance on the mound Friday afternoon was everything that Mississippi State wanted and needed against Southeastern Conference champion Florida.
When he exited the game, everything came crashing down.
An 11-run eighth inning took away Gordon's gem of a game as Florida (42-15) manufactured six walks and six hits against six pitchers. When the dust settled, State's 3-0 lead through eight frames gave way to a 12-3 final that sent the Gators to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament.
It was both a disappointing and encouraging day all in one for the Bulldogs (36-23). Gordon's performance was the best of his young career as he notched career highs in innings pitched (seven) and strikeouts (seven) while giving up just four hits and one run and walking no batters.
“Cole Gordon was outstanding (Friday) and what he did (Friday) against the University of Florida was incredible,” Cannizaro said. “When you play a great team like LSU and like Flori-
da, you have to play a complete nine innings of baseball. You don't beat them for six innings and coast through. We just didn't do that (Friday).”
Behind him was a disaster. State's five relief pitchers combined to give up six hits, 11 runs and eight walks.
After both pitchers worked three scoreless frames, Mississippi State finally broke through in the fourth inning.
Jackson Kowar had allowed the Bulldogs on base with four hits early in the game but MSU couldn't capitalize. Hunter Vansau changed that after Cody Brown reached on an error with one out. The junior designated hitter smashed a triple in the right centerfield gap and Brown came all the way around to score for a 1-0 lead.
After Gordon gave up his first hit of the day to start off the fifth, the defense was on the money behind him. He got a pop up in foul territory to catcher Josh Lovelady and Ryan Gridley ended the inning with a stellar double play to keep the lead.
MSU added runs in the fifth and sixth as well. Singles by Lovelady and Gridley had runners at the corners and with two outs, a wild pitch scored a run for a 2-0 lead. Vansau came through again in the sixth when he doubled home a run and suddenly Gordon had a comfortable 3-0 advantage. Gordon's outstanding day ended in the eighth when he surrendered a leadoff single and the Bulldogs took no chances as they brought closer Spencer Price into the game. Price walked the first batter he faced giving way to Riley Self. With the bases loaded and one out, a single and a wild pitch got the game to 3-2.
Things then unraveled in a big way. Self walked a run in on a full count and a two-run single broke the game open for a 5-3 Florida lead that brought in Trey Jolly. The junior pitcher faced two batters and walked both of them making it 6-3.
The Gators preceded to blow the game wide open after that sending home five more runs with two outs to completely put the game out of reach.
“Ultimately, you run out of arms,” Cannizaro said. “You go from a 3-0 ball game where you had to go to Riley Self in his thirdconsecutive day and we ran out of bullets.”
Outside of the pitching issues late in the game, MSU continued to struggle driving in runners. State had left runs off the board in each of the first two games this week and continued that trend on Friday.
MSU out-hit the Gators 12-10 led by the 3-for-5 day for Hunter Stovall. Gridley, Vansau and MacNamee all had two hits, but Vansau produced the only two RBI of the day. Brent Rooker went 0-for-5 at the plate breaking up a string of six-straight games with a hit.