Belmont Rallies Late To Hand State First Loss Of Season, 2-1

Friday, February 25

Starkville

4:00 PM

Mississippi State

5-1

Belmont

3-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Belmont	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	5	1
Mississippi State	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	1

Walkoff Double Lifts MSU To Series Win Over Vanderbilt

Belmont Rallies Late To Hand State First Loss Of Season, 2-1

February 25, 2011 | Baseball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State junior right-hander Devin Jones pitched a masterpiece until the ninth inning Friday afternoon.

Jones was touched for a two-run game-winning inside-the-park home run by Belmont's Dylan Craig. That hit lifted the Bruins to a stunning 2-1 college baseball victory at Dudy Noble Field.

Entering the ninth inning, Jones was working on a three-hit shutout. MSU last had a complete-game shutout in 2003 when Alan Johnson blanked LSU 5-0 in a Southeastern Conference game at Dudy Noble Field.

Beginning the frame at 105 pitches, Jones was touched for a leadoff single by Derek Hamblen. Craig then crushed a 2-2 pitch to dead center, just over the outreached arm of center fielder Brent Brownlee. By the time the ball was back in the infield, Craig was only barreling home with the eventual game-winning run.

"Devin really pitched well," MSU head coach John Cohen said. "We left him out there because he was our best chance to get a ground ball effort. It is a frustrating loss because we really pitched it well today."

The bizarre twist of fate ruined a masterpiece by Jones (1-1). Jones has now allowed six hits and two runs over his first 15 innings this season, while tossing a pair of quality starts.

The Bulldogs (5-1) scored the game's lone run in the second inning. Daryl Norris began things with a single down the right field line. Cody Freeman followed with a single to right center, moving Norris to third base.

An inning later, the Bulldogs again had a pair of hits - singles by Wes Thigpen and Brownlee. The Bulldogs would only get four runners into scoring position the rest of the way. In the fifth inning, Ryan Collins was thrown out at the plate on an infield ground ball with runners at second and third base.

For Belmont (3-3), starter Chase Brookshire allowed five hits and one run (earned) over the first six innings of work. Josh Davis (2-0) threw two innings of shutout relief for the win, before Jon Ivie retired the side in order in the ninth inning for his second save.

Caleb Reed entered in the ninth inning, working around an infield error by striking out a pair to put the Bruins away.

The Bulldogs finished with six hits - singles by Nick Vickerson, Brownlee, Daryl Norris, Cody Freeman, Jonathan Ogden and Thigpen.

Belmont managed five hits. Craig had the only extra-base hit in the contest.

The Bulldogs and Bruins resume their three-game weekend series at 2 p.m. Saturday, while the series finale is at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Also of note, the MSU-Alcorn State contest slated for Tuesday at Dudy Noble Field has been pushed back to a 5 p.m. first pitch.