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Vanderbilt Wins SEC Opener with 10-3 Win at Mississippi State 3/18/2005 Jensen Lewis Goes Eight Innings and Improves to 4-0 Starkville, Miss. — Junior right-hander Jensen Lewis went eight innings and struck out six helping lead #17 Vanderbilt to a 10-3 victory over #18 Mississippi State Friday in front of a crowd of 5,719 at Dudy Noble Field in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Vanderbilt improves to 14-3, 1-0 in SEC action, while Mississippi State owns a 11-3 record, 0-1 in league play. It’s the first SEC opening victory since the 2001 season. The Commodores got on the board in the first inning with two runs. Leadoff hitter Alex Feinberg was hit by a pitch and moved to second when Warner Jones reached on an error by the second baseman (Jeffrey Rea). Mike Baxter drove in Feinberg with a single to right field. Brian Hernandez drew a walk to load the bases and Jones scored when Tony Mansolino reached on a fielder’s choice to the right side. Vanderbilt added one in the third when Antoan Richardson scored on a passed ball. Richardson reached on a single to the right side, stole second and then moved to third when Jones grounded out to the shortstop. Mississippi State scored its first run in the bottom of the third when Jeffrey Rea scored on an error. VU made it 4-1 in the fourth when Mansolino crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Mansolino reached on a single; moved to second on a wild pitch and took third when Aaron Garza grounded out to the shortstop. The Commodores added two runs in the fifth inning. Jones hit a solo shot over the left center field wall for his second home run of the season. With two away and runners on first and second, Dominic De La Osa hit a single to the right side scoring Hernandez who reached on a walk giving Vanderbilt a 6-1 lead. In the top of the seventh with Eric Ebers on the mound for the Bulldogs, Jones led off the inning with a single to center field and moved to second on a wild pitch. With two away, Mansolino drew a walk and De La Osa got his second RBI of the game with a blooper to centerfield scoring Jones. Pinch hitter Bill Kleinschrodt led off the eighth inning with a walk and moved to second on an infield hit by Feinberg. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Richardson. With two away, Baxter took a 2-2 pitch to the right side scoring both Kleinschrodt and Feinberg for a 9-1 Commodore lead. Baxter moved to third on the play when the relay throw went into the Bulldog dugout and scored when Mansolino hit a single to the left side. VU jumped out to a 10-1 lead before the Bulldogs scored once in the eighth and ninth innings. Lewis went eight innings giving up seven hits and two runs, one earned. Freshman left-hander David Price pitched the final inning giving up one run on three hits. He struck out two. “I thought he (Jensen) was very good,” VU Head Coach Tim Corbin said following the win. “To get us into the eighth inning particularly with the situation we’re in with our pitching right now?.I thought he pitched very well. He limited them (MSU) opportunities and was able to shut them down. I though he pitched well against a good hitting team.” The Commodores collected 14 hits led by Mansolino who was 3-4 at the plate. Baxter, Jones and De La Osa each had two hits. Game Two of the series is 2 pm Saturday. Senior right-hander Jeff Sues (2-1, 5.40 ERA) will be on the mound for the Commodores, while Todd Doolittle (1-1, 5.19 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound for the Bulldogs. Tony Mansolino extended his hitting streak to eight games. He has reached base in all 17 games. |
