OMAHA, Neb. — For eight innings Monday night, No. 7 Mississippi State traded blows with No. 4 Vanderbilt in Game 1 of the College World Series final.
Jack Leiter and Nick Maldonado hung zeros inning after inning for the powerhouse Commodores, but an ensemble cast of Bulldogs relievers was just as strong.
But a pesky first inning did in MSU (48-18) early in an 8-2 loss to Vanderbilt (49-16) that put the Bulldogs in a familiar position: one loss away from elimination.
The Commodores torched MSU starter Christian MacLeod for six runs over just two-thirds of an inning en route to a seven-run frame.
Against Leiter, who allowed just two runs in six innings, the Bulldogs couldn’t manage one of their typical comeback efforts. The right-hander struck out eight and gave up just three hits, including a first-inning Kamren James home run.
But after James took Leiter deep to left field, MacLeod let Vanderbilt not only even up the game but effectively end it. He walked two batters, hit two more and gave up two hits in his second straight short outing. An RBI double from Isaiah Thomas that put the Commodores up 4-1 ended the left-hander’s night.
Then Chase Patrick came in and served up a three-run homer to No. 9 hitter Jayson Gonzalez, adding a pair of runs to MacLeod’s line and giving Vanderbilt a six-run edge.
It was all Leiter needed and more. He allowed just two more hits — a Tanner Allen double and Logan Tanner RBI single in the fourth — before stranding two runners in the sixth.
Cade Smith and Brandon Smith each pitched two scoreless innings for Mississippi State. KC Hunt gave up a run in two innings, and Jackson Fristoe pitched a scoreless eighth.
Game 2 of the series begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN. The Bulldogs will need two straight victories to win their first national championship.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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