No. 25 Mississippi State University (20-12, 6-4 SEC) started out Super Bulldog Weekend on the wrong foot as No. 10 Kentucky (22-9, 8-2) hit a late surge to take a 5-2 game one victory.
Talking to head coach Andy Cannizaro after the game, the theme was missed opportunity. The game was tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the eighth inning and Jake Mangum, a sophomore from Pearl, Tennessee, was on third and Ryan Gridley, a junior from Milton, Georgia, on second.
With both being good base runners and there only being one out in the frame, MSU looked to be in a good position to take the lead. However, neither of MSU’s next two batters could take advantage as one struck out and the other hit a pop fly ball that was caught by Kentucky’s shortstop.
“This is a 2-2 ball game on a Friday night in the SEC,” Cannizaro said. “When you get opportunities to win the game like that offensively, you have to be able grab the ball game, you have to be able to go win the ball game. I didn’t feel like we did that tonight.”
Where MSU failed to capitalize in the eighth, Kentucky succeeded in the ninth. MSU had a mistake-filled ninth inning, giving Kentucky six free bases. In that inning, MSU issued three walks, threw two wild pitches, and a passed ball. Kentucky went on to score three runs to take a 5-2 lead, and later pitched a perfect ninth inning, as no MSU batter reached base.
“This ball game was there to be won tonight and we didn’t get the job done,” Cannizaro. “It was certainly a frustrating way to end the night.”
The one highlight of the night was an inside-the-park home run from Cody Brown. The senior from Biloxi, Mississippi, hit the ball just inside the left field foul line. The Kentucky left fielder, who was playing on a bad ankle, tripped and reinjured his ankle. The ball rolled away from the fielder and he struggled to get up and field the ball. Brown took advantage and rounded the bases for the home run.
Brown said he was looking the left fielder most of the way, he said he almost missed first base. When asked if he was surprised he got the green light to run, he answered no.
“Not really, I was hustling out of the box,” Brown said. “I had a good jump on it and everything and I knew that ball kicked pretty far down there and he kind of rolled his ankle, I was expecting it and hoping I had gotten it and I did and I ended up scoring there.”
MSU will continue their Super Bulldog Weekend series against Kentucky tomorrow with the first pitch set for 6 p.m. MSU has yet to announce a starting pitcher and coach Cannizaro said they would announce it later tonight.
