HATTIESBURG — South Alabama baseball coach Mark Calvi didn’t hesitate to credit Mississippi State’s Andy Cannizaro.
Faced with an opportunity to keep the game scoreless, Cannizaro opted to take an unorthodox risk in the bottom of the first inning of his team’s elimination game against USA on Sunday night in the NCAA tournament’s Hattiesburg Regional.
MSU starting pitcher Denver McQuary hit leadoff batter Dylan Hardy to open the inning. Hardy moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a groundout. Cannizaro then elected to bring the left side of the infield in while the right side played on the outfield grass or at the edge of the grass. First baseman Brent Rooker moved in as McQuary worked the count to 1-2, but Brendan Donovan grounded to shortstop Ryan Gridley, who threw to catcher Josh Lovelady to erase Hardy at the plate.
The play kept the game scoreless and allowed MSU to seize control with a five-run third en route to a 7-3 victory.
“(MSU starting pitcher Denver McQuary) was able to locate his fastball away,” Cannizaro said. “We’re going to stay away from this guy and there’s a really good chance he’s going to bang something to the left side. We liked our chances and knowing if he hit a ground ball to Cody (Brown) at third or Gridley at short, they were going to have a chance to get him out at the plate.”
Said Calvi, “Had (McQuary) made a mistake and crossed the plate, Donovan does damage on that pitch.”
Ninth-inning defense system
Cannizaro has a plan when the Bulldogs are nursing a lead in the ninth.
Entering the final frame against South Alabama and in the 5-4 victory against Illinois-Chicago earlier in the day, Cannizaro inserted Tanner Poole into Hunter Vansau’s place in right field.
Cannizaro then moved Brown from third base to left field and removed Elijah MacNamee. Luke Alexander took Brown’s spot at third.
Poole and Alexander have been used as defensive replacements throughout the season.
Davis homers twice
Former New Hope High School standout and current South Alabama first baseman Wells Davis made an early impact. He had both of the Jaguars’ hits off McQuary — solo home runs.
Davis’ first home run came on a full count in the bottom of the third.
“I knew he was going to try to challenge me with a fastball with no one on base, and I got one,” Davis said.
Davis said his second home run also came on a fastball.
“I had a feeling he would stick (a fastball inside) on me, 91-92 (mph), so I geared up for that and didn’t miss,” he said.
Davis ended his season hitting .292 with a team-high 14 home runs and 57 RBIs. He had three hits against MSU this season.
Benchmark day
MSU hit two benchmarks against UIC.
Starting pitcher Konnor Pilkington recorded his 100th strikeout of the season to become the fifth Bulldog since 2000 to hit that number. He struck out nine to raise his total to 107, which is two shy of tying Eric DuBose for 10th all-time on the school’s single-season list.
Rooker also became the first Bulldog to hit 30 doubles in a season. Earlier this season, Rooker broke Pete Young’s 27-year-old record.
The RBI double — which was part of a three-run fourth — helped Rooker become the first player in SEC history to have at least 21 home runs, 30 doubles, and 77 RBIs in a season.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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