Mississippi State
Vanderbilt
Commodores Take SEC Opener At State, 10-3
March 18, 2005 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Vanderbilt pounded out 14 hits and handed MississippiState its first home loss of the season with a 10-3 decision on openingnight in the SEC at Dudy Noble Field.
The Commodores, playing heir first game of the year outside Nashville,improved to 14-3 while the 18th-ranked Bulldogs moved to 11-3, 10-1 at home.
The Commodores scored twice with just one hit in the opening inning. A hitbatsmen, a misplayed infield grounder and a single by Mike Baxter plated onerun and another crossed the plate two batters later on an infield groundoutby Tony Mansolino.
Each team scored a single run in the third inning. Vanderbilt then built thelead to 10-1 with single runs in the fourth and seventh innings, two runs inthe fifth inning and three runs in the eighth inning.
Mansolino led Vandy's 14-hit attack with three hits, extending his currenthitting streak to a team-best eight games. Warner Jones had two hits,including his second home run of the year, a solo shot that put Vandy up 5-1 in the fifth. Dominic De La Osa and Baxter also finished with multiplehits.
VU starter Jensen Lewis (4-0) scattered 10 hits and struck out six during asolid eight-inning stint on the mound. Lewis allowed just one unearned runthrough the first seven frames before getting touched for a run in theeighth. David Price worked the ninth inning for Vandy.
Joseph Hunter had a single and double to his hitting streak to a team andcareer-best 10 games. Jeffrey Rea and Brad Corley also had two-hit games forthe Bulldogs.
Alan Johnson (1-2) pitched the first six innings and took the loss. Johnsonallowed seven hits and six runs (four earned). Eric Ebers pitched twoinnings and Jamie Gant worked the ninth inning for MSU.
The Bulldogs and Commodores resume their weekend SEC series at 2 p.m.Saturday. The series finale is at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
