Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Bulldogs force deciding game
OMAHA, Neb. — Houston Harding and Preston Johnson combined on a four- hitter as Mississippi State capitalized on struggling Vanderbilt pitching in a 13-2 victory Tuesday night that forced a deciding third game in the College World Series finals.
It was Vanderbilt’s most lopsided loss in its 29 alltime CWS games. Mississippi State hadn’t won so easily in Omaha since beating Georgia Southern 15-1 in 1990.
Like Game 1, when Vanderbilt scored seven first-inning runs on its way to an 8-2 victory, this one was over early as Mississippi State broke things open with a four-run third inning.
Game 3 will be tonight. The Commodores will be going for their second consecutive national title and third since 2014. The Bulldogs will be playing for their first championship.
The start in this one was delayed two hours because of rain, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of another pro-Mississippi State crowd that included Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in a pinstriped “State” baseball jersey, and former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler and basketball Coach Jerry Stackhouse representing Vandy.
The Commodores issued a season-high 10 walks, including three in a row by 17-yearold starter Christian Little (3-2) that fueled Mississippi State’s big fourth inning.
The Bulldogs turned an error into a run in the first, and the decisive third inning started with shortstop Carter Young fielding Tanner Allen’s grounder but unable to get the ball out of his glove. It was scored a hit, but probably should have been an out — and was a sign of things to come.
Little’s three consecutive walks forced in a run and brought on reliever Patrick Reilly. Scotty Dubrule’s hard comebacker deflected off Reilly’s leg and scored two runs, and the Bulldogs got another on a bases-loaded wild pitch.
Mississippi State scored five times in the seventh to push its lead into double digits.
The Bulldogs finished with 14 hits, with light-hitting shortstop Lane Forsythe leading them with three hits out of the No. 9 spot after going 1 for 11 in his first five CWS games.
Johnson (4-0) allowed 2 hits and struck out 7 in 5 innings of relief of Harding.
The all-SEC finals could come down to a pitching matchup between stars Kumar Rocker of Vanderbilt and Will Bednar of Mississippi State.
Rocker, the 2019 CWS Most Outstanding Player, would be coming off four days’ rest. Bednar, who struck out 15 against Texas in his CWS debut June 20, would have three days’ rest since throwing 97 pitches in the bracket final against Texas.