Allen delivers second career walk-off hit to give State series victory over Tulane
STARKVILLE – It was a weekend of drama at Dudy Noble Field as weather loomed early in the week and closely contested games followed, but the No. 5 Mississippi State baseball program was able to walk away with a series win thanks to back-to-back walk-off victories over Tulane, which was capped by a Tanner Allen two-RBI single to give the Bulldogs a 5-4 win in the series finale on Sunday (Feb. 28).
Solo home runs in the second and fourth innings gave Tulane (3-4) an early lead, but a three-run sixth inning pushed Mississippi State (5-2) in front as Kamren James homered for the third time in 2021 for the 3-2 lead. The Green Wave got two in the top of the ninth inning thanks to a home run by Luis Aviles, before the Dawgs heroics capped an exciting weekend.
With Tulane’s lead at one run, 4-3, Keagan Gillies (0-1) entered for the Wave to throw the ninth inning. After a groundout started things, Drew McGowan walked and then stole second base. After a Rowdey Jordan lineout to left field, Scotty Dubrule drew a two-out walk. A wild pitch moved runners to second and third, before Allen lined a full-count pitch into left-center field to score both runs.
It was the first time since 2014 that Mississippi State won back-to-back games in walk-off fashion. That season State toppled Tennessee on consecutive days May 10-11.
It is the 16th time in Allen’s career that he has delivered the game-winning run, with two of those walk-off winners. The Theodore, Alabama, native also registered a game-ending single against Southern Miss in the series finale on the second weekend of the 2019 season.
At the plate, Allen delivered the two RBIs with his lone hit of the day, while James 1-for-4 day included the home run and a pair of RBIs. Logan Tanner was on base three times with a walk and two singles. Josh Hatcher moved his reached base streak to 14 games with an eighth inning base hit.
Graduate student Spencer Price (1-0) picked up the victory as he allowed two runs on two hits in one inning of work. He struck out two batters in the outing. Freshman Jackson Fristoe (ND) had another good start for MSU with four innings of work and seven strikeouts. He allowed two runs on just five hits and one walk.
Carlisle Koestler and Brandon Smith combined to throw four innings of scoreless relief work for MSU. Koestler was first out of the pen and fired 1 2/3 innings with two hits allowed, before Smith tossed 2 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and three hits allowed.
For Tulane, seven different pitches saw the mound and three home runs accounted for the four runs. Gillies allowed the two runs on one hit to take the loss, while starting pitcher Jack Aldrich tossed 5 1/3 innings and struck out six in a no decision. Aldrich allowed four hits, walked four and gave up two runs.
Chase Engelhard, Frankie Niemann and Luis Aviles all hit home runs for the Green Wave. Aviles and Niemann each chipped in two hits and Collin Burns had a three-hit day for the Olive and Blue.
Quotable
Head Coach Chris Lemonis
On what he learned about his team this weekend
CL: That we will stay in it and compete. We knew coming into the weekend that they had three really good starting pitchers and that if we could get into their bullpen a little bit [we could have a chance to win]. We got pitch counts up early in games, but you would still like to have some better at-bats, especially with runners in scoring position. We are able to compete late. A lot of times it is just being able to get a walk. Drew McGowan getting a walk and stealing a base started making things happen. Rowdey [Jordan] had a great at-bat too to make things happen and then obviously the big hit. We will get better too. We will perform at a higher level and we are not clicking on all cylinders with our line-up right now. I know that they have better swings in them.
Scoring Recap
Top Second
Chase Engelhard hit a solo home run to give Tulane the early lead.
Tulane 1, Mississippi State 0
Top Fourth
A second solo home run for the Green Wave, this one from Frankie Niemann, made it a two-run game.
Tulane 2, Mississippi State 0
Bottom Sixth
Freshman Logan Tanner walked and advanced to second on a ground out. A Luke Hancock double allowed Tanner to score, before Kamren James hit his third home run of the season to give MSU the lead.
Mississippi State 3, Tulane 2
Top Ninth
With two outs, another home run, this time from Luis Aviles scored two runs, as Ethan Groff singled with two outs to start the rally.
Tulane 4, Mississippi State 3
Bottom Ninth
Freshman Drew McGowan walked and stole second with one out and Scotty Dubrule drew a two-out walk. McGowan and Dubrule advanced on a wild pitch, then Tanner Allen stepped up to the plate. With a full count and two outs, Allen singled to left center, bringing both runners home for the walk-off win.
Mississippi State 5, Tulane 4
Up Next
Mississippi State will travel to Pearl, Mississippi, to take on Southern Miss at Trustmark Park at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2. That game will be carried on the MSU Radio Network with Jim Ellis on the call. The Diamond Dawgs will then return home for a weekend series against Tennessee Tech starting Friday, March 5 at 6 p.m.