In a critical chance to improve their lot in the Southeastern Conference standings, the 15th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs failed to deliver, dropping two of three contests to the visiting Arkansas Razorbacks. The series loss is the fourth in a row for the struggling Bulldogs, who travel to South Carolina next weekend.
Game One: MSU 2, Ark 6
Despite beautiful weather conditions, an energetic crowd and a ceremonial first pitch by new Mississippi State president Robert “Doc” Foglesong, the Bulldogs (29-11, 8-9) were unable to convert their robust home-field atmosphere into an on-field success, falling to Arkansas (30-12, 10-8), 6-2, in the opening game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Senior starter Brooks Dunn was rocked early by the Razorbacks, giving up a three-run home run to first baseman Danny Hamblin in the top of the opening frame, putting the Bulldogs on the defensive from the opening moments.
Arkansas would again get to Dunn in the top of the third, adding two more scores to their total and chasing the Bulldog starter from the mound after only 2.1 innings of work. Dunn’s exit marked his shortest start of the campaign and eventually saddled him with his third loss.
“Brooks was rushing [his pitches], and he was pumped up, and he’ll admit that,” Polk said. “He didn’t want to come out but four walks makes it tough.”
Reliever Mike Valentine came in to work the next 5.2 innings, allowing only one run and striking out three. Jon Crosby worked the final frame.
Arkansas starter Nick Schmidt would work seven innings for the Razorbacks, striking out eight Bulldogs and allowing only one earned run.
The Bulldog offense registered 10 hits in the contest, matching the Hogs’ total but left 11 men on base and five in scoring position with a series of unproductive outs and miscues.
“Eleven seems to be our unlucky number for leaving men on base,” senior co-captain Thomas Berkery said. “We just couldn’t get the clutch hits we needed.”
Berkery, along with designate hitter Brian LaNinfa paced the Diamond Dawgs with two hits apiece. Berkery’s two-for-five outing dropped his season batting average .001 points to place him at a .410 clip, tops in the SEC.
The two Bulldog scores would come five innings apart from one another: the first in the bottom of the second, plating senior co-captain Brad Jones on a fielder’s choice, and the second in the bottom of the eighth, a Joseph Hunter home run. The homer was Hunter’s second of the season.
Game Two: MSU 9, Ark 8
LaNinfa is listed on the lineup card as Mississippi State’s designated hitter. Saturday night he did just what he was designated to do.
In the second game of a six-hour doubleheader with the homestanding Mississippi State Bulldogs down 7-8, LaNinfa hit a walk-off two-run homerun to earn the struggling Dawgs a split in the day’s games.
“I just didn’t want to get out,” LaNinfa said. “I just wanted to do a job and get on base. Luckily I got a pitch to hit, and I was able to win this game for us. It was pretty much a must-win game for us.”
LaNinfa had already stepped up big for the Diamond Dawgs earlier in the game, hitting a two-run home run in the third to give the team an early 4-1 lead. The walk-off was LaNinfa’s sixth home run in as many games.
“Every time he steps up to the plate and takes a big cut, the crowd ooh’s and aah’s over it,” Berkery said. “That’s when you know a guy is hot.”
Berkery had a hot day at the plate himself, going four-for-five and matching LaNinfa’s four RBI’s. The clip improves Berkery’s SEC-leading batting average to .424.
“We needed a win like this just to help us get our legs back under us,” Berkery said. “I think this will help.”
The Diamond Dawgs jumped out to an early lead, up 5-1 at the end of the third inning. The Razorbacks would remain tenacious, however, as third baseman Blake Parker hit a three-run home run in the top of the fourth frame to pull the Hogs to within one run.
Josh Johnson went six innings for the Bulldogs, allowing six runs but pitching well enough to maintain the Bulldogs’ lead. But in the top of the seventh frame Arkansas’ Danny Hamblin, the SEC RBI leader, would get to reliever Brett Cleveland for a two-run double to tie the contest at seven runs apiece.
Arkansas would take the lead 8-7 in the eighth when second baseman Stephen Robison bounced a double on the third base bag to score Parker.
Game Three: MSU 4, Ark 6
The Bulldogs failed to impress in Sunday’s matinee encore to Saturday night’s walk-off win, falling to the Razorbacks, 6-4.
“We put the ball in play, but we just couldn’t get anything going,” Polk said after the game. “We’re a pretty good offensive team, but we are getting down early in the ballgame, and it’s hard to score runs against good pitching.”
Arkansas scored early and often in the series clincher, plating two runs in second on a Clint Arnold double and adding a run in each of the next four frames.
The Diamond Dawgs would rally in the bottom of the seventh to score four runs on two hits. The Razorbacks walked Brad Jones, putting the Dawgs on the board, followed by a throwing error by Razorback shortstop Matt Willard to score Hunter and LaNinfa. Jeff Butts would sacrifice fly to give the Bulldogs their fourth run, but Jeffrey Rea would ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning with the next at bat.
“They just kept us off balance,” Jones said. “We just couldn’t get the job done. That’s baseball, and that’s the way it is right now, but we got to keep pushing.”
Bulldog starter Jon Lalor was chased from the mound after only three innings of work, requiring extended relief appearances from both Chad Crosswhite and Aaron Weatherford. Mitch Moreland worked a perfect final frame.
The series loss drops the Dawgs to fourth place in the SEC Western Division, 4 1/2 games behind division and conference leader Alabama.
“Every loss is really starting to hurt now. You have your good days and your bad days, and right now we’re just on a rollercoaster,” Joseph Hunter said.
State will return to action on Tuesday for a two-game midweek series against Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.