STARKVILLE — Sunday was a good day for the Mississippi State baseball team, even though it ended with a loss.
No. 14 Vanderbilt completed a three-game sweep of the season-opening Southeastern Conference series with a 4-3 victory at Dudy Noble Field.
Still, MSU (10-10, 0-3 SEC) had chances to win the finale after generating little offense in 5-0 and 10-1 losses in the first two games. Tanner Allen’s home run Saturday accounted for the Bulldogs’ only run.
On Sunday, MSU manufactured a run in the first inning, when leadoff man Jake Mangum reached base, Luke Alexander singled to move him to third base and Allen brought him home with a sacrifice fly. MSU wasn’t able to do that in the first two games despite getting 13 hits and earning nine walks.
“Scoring in the first inning really helped a lot, gave us some confidence,” Allen said. “We went through a rough stretch, had some rough innings — a lot of rough innings actually — but we had a lot of energy around here today, competed.
“I feel like we can build off this. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we got better.”
Said MSU interim coach Gary Henderson, “It was certainly better. To push three across after where we’ve been I thought was a really positive day for our kids.”
MSU added another run in the third before Vanderbilt (15-5, 3-0) took the lead with four runs in the fifth. Starting pitcher Jacob Billingsley’s slider, which had been effective until that point, slipped away for one passed ball and one wild pitch. An error by second baseman Hunter Stovall allowed another run to score.
MSU tacked on a run in the sixth, but it managed only six hits and struck out 10 times, including three straight in the eighth.
“We talked about the ability to slow the game down,” Henderson said. “There were some areas where the game got pretty fast on us, certainly in the box late in the game. We have to get in a spot where we can slow the game down to where it needs to be. You want to be there all the time, but at the appropriate time, you have to be able to slow down so you can execute a pitch or an at-bat. That’s one way we can address getting better and getting better quick, if we’re honest with ourselves.
“For most guys, it’s a learned response. I’ve had a few over the years that brought it with them, be it genetics, parents, high school, or whatever it is. Most of that stuff is what you learn. For most of our guys, this is the first place where they’re in a game that speeds up on them. They’re talented kids from good programs, and there’s not a lot of times where the game gets going fast.”
Henderson referenced two pitchers who slowed the game down Sunday. Billingsley (2-1) forced a first-inning double play after walking two. He then responded to a leadoff double and a hit batter in the third by retiring three the side.
Relief pitcher Blake Smith kept MSU’s hopes alive with a bases-loaded strikeout in the ninth.
MSU will grow from those examples as it tries to snap a four-game losing streak.
“It’s way better chemistry. It’s way better atmosphere. It felt better in here,” Billingsley said. “It wasn’t the result we wanted, but we played more together. It was a better day. It just wasn’t the result we were looking for.”
Last season, MSU started 0-3 in conference play and faced plenty of questions. That team ultimately found answers on the way to a Super Regional appearance.
“You start talking about returning guys, guys that have experience, I heard Jake Mangum say, ‘Unfortunately, we’re right back to where we were after three games when we went to Arkansas last year,’ ” Henderson said. “As long as the kids can deal in the reality of it, there are specific things you can do in the near future to improve your game. If we can do those things, we can get better, and we will get better.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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