MSU Baseball Moves To 13-0

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – Mississippi State sophomore left-hander Vance Tatum capped a weekend of brilliant pitching for the 13th-ranked Bulldogs.

Tatum allowed two hits eight-plus innings of work as MSU completed its third straight four-game weekend series sweep with a 6-2 win over Samford at Dudy Noble Field.

Tatum recorded his second quality start and the team’s fourth of the season. Senior right-hander Trevor Fitts worked around a pair of hits to close out the win.

MSU improved to 13-0 with this being the fourth time that has happened in program history.

The Bulldogs earned their last four wins in large part to the pitching. In two wins over Arizona and Samford, MSU allowed 28 hits and eight earned runs in 36 innings of work. The staff struck out 43 and walked nine.

Tatum (2-0) struck out 12 batters Sunday when was the most by an MSU starter since Jacob Lindgren struck out 13 against St. Joseph’s on March 1, 2013.

MSU broke a 1-1 tie by scoring twice in the fourth inning and fifth inning.

Jacob Robson began the fourth inning with a base hit. After a sacrifice bunt by Josh Lovelady and strikeout, Jake Vickerson reached as a hit batsman. An error scored Robson while Vickerson came home on an RBI-triple by Matt Spruill.

In the fifth inning, Luke Reynolds started things with a leadoff walk. Robson then beat out a bunt attempt for an infield single. After a sacrifice bunt by Lovelady moved both runners, each came home on wild pitches.

An RBI-single by Wes Rea started the scoring in the first inning for MSU. An RBI-double by Seth Heck capped the MSU scoring in the eighth inning.

For the weekend, Vickerson had five hits, while Lovelady, Rea, Cody Brown and Robson each had four hits.

MSU finished with eight hits, including multi-hit games by Heck and Robson.

Samford (3-8) finished with four hits, including two hits and two RBIs by Damon Waller. Eric Wright (0-2) was lifted in the fourth inning and took the loss.

MSU plays host to Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.