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Mississippi State
Thornton Homers, Vols Drop Opener vs. Bulldogs, 5-4
March 24, 2017 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Tennessee out-hit Mississippi State by two knocks but dropped a close series opener, 5-4, to the Bulldogs on Friday night at Dudy Noble Field.
With the loss, the Volunteers (13-6, 0-4 SEC) move to 29-56 in the overall series against Mississippi State (13-10, 1-3 SEC).
The Bulldogs took an early two-run advantage in the bottom of the first with a two-out longball to left field by clean-up hitter Elijah MacNamee before the inning ended on a pop up to second baseman Jeff Moberg.
After a scoreless second inning, the Vols answered in the third frame, putting Max Bartlett and Brodie Leftridge on base via a dropped third strike and a fielding error by Mississippi State's second baseman. Freshman Justin Ammons then hit an RBI-double to left field to score Bartlett, putting UT on the board, 2-1.
Tennessee's bats caught fire in the fourth as the Orange and White plated three runs on five hits. Designated hitter Pete Derkay got the inning started with a single up the middle and scored on Benito Santiago's third double of the season, tying the game at 2-2. With a runner in scoring position, outfielder Dom Thornton belted his first home run of the season deep over the left field wall to give Tennessee a 4-2 edge.
Looking to build on their lead in the seventh, UT loaded the bases on singles by Ammons and senior Jordan Rodgers and a two-out walk issued to Derkay but a strikeout ended the rally.
The Bulldogs mounted a rally of their own in the bottom of the frame, putting runners on first and second following a hit-by-pitch and single to third. State's ninth man in the lineup, Tanner Poole, then singled up the middle to trim Tennessee's lead to one run. Following a strikeout fired by right-hander Kyle Serrano, Brent Rooker doubled to center field to lift Mississippi State past the Vols, 5-4.
On the mound for Tennessee, senior Hunter Martin tossed 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. The righty also struck out three Bulldogs in the appearance.
Relief pitcher Kyle Serrano allowed three runs on three hits and fired three strikeouts through 1.1 innings of work but was charged with the loss. Freshman Garrett Stallings closed the final 1.1 innings for the Vols, allowing two hits while fanning two batters.
TENNESSEE QUICK HITS
- FRESHMAN PHENOM: Andre Lipcius extended his team high streak of reaching base safely to 19 straight games. Lipcius has reached safely in every game to begin his Tennessee career.
- BOMBIN' DOM: Dom Thornton hit his first career home run, a two-run blast to left field, on the first pitch offered in his fourth-inning at-bat.
- REACHING SAFELY: Jordan Rodgers (18), Pete Derkay (13) and Jeff Moberg (12) also extended their streaks of reaching base safely for the Vols.
- HOT BATS: Tennessee has accumulated double-digit hits in 13 of 19 games this season. In those 13 games, the Vols have finished 11-2 with their only losses coming against South Carolina in extra innings (March 18, 2017) and Friday's series opener against Mississippi State (March 24, 2017).
- Tennessee has allowed opponents to register double-digit hits in just six of 19 games so far this season.
- Justin Ammons went 2-for-5 in his first start since March 17 vs. South Carolina, one of three Volunteers to record multiple hits vs. the Bulldogs on Friday night.
- The Vols are 4-3 in games which Starkville native Max Bartlett starts at shortstop.
- Jordan Rodgers flashed the leather on Friday night, playing outstanding defense at the hot corner. He played impressive defense on six hard shots to third base, including two line-drive snags.
- ON DECK FOR THE VOLS: Tennessee continues its three-game series against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, March 25 on SEC Network+.
- Friday's attendance at Dudy Noble Field: 7,744
