The Tulane Green Wave nearly upset the No. 3 baseball team in the nation, but let their lead fall apart.
While the Tulane Green Wave might've put the third-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs on upset alert in the Hancock Whitney Classic in Biloxi, it certainly didn't hold.
The Green Wave let a 7-2 lead fall apart in the bottom of the seventh inning, as MSU scored seven runs in the frame and two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to notch the 11-7 win. It marked the fourth loss in five games for Tulane, which now sits at 9-8 on the year.
Once again, the Sluggerbirds got off to a hot start in the contest. The team plated two runs in the first inning: Jason Wachs drove in Kaikea Harrison on a quick single to right field, and Nolan Nawrocki brought Tanner Chun home on a sacrifice fly. Mississippi State was able to match it quickly in the bottom of the frame with a pair of runs off of starting pitcher Jack Brafa.
Though the game would be quiet for a while and involve a rotating door of pitchers for both squads, Tulane jumped back in front in the fourth inning with a two-run blast by Nate Johnson to take a 4-2 lead.
The Green Wave continued to pour it on in the top of the seventh inning with a bit of two-out magic in the ballpark. Tye Wood picked up a big double to drive in a run, then he himself came home on a single by Matthias Haas. A successful double steal of second base and home added the third run of the frame for the Olive Green and Sky Blue, and the team took a commanding 7-2 lead.
Let's just say the seventh inning magic didn't stop with the boys from Uptown.
The Bulldogs are among the top teams in the nation offensively, and they showed that with a big comeback in the frame. After pitcher JD Rodriguez gave up a pair of singles, Jude Abbadessa was brought into the game. A big strikeout was quickly followed by a walk to load the bases, and MSU infielder Ace Reese cashed in with a grand slam to cut Tulane's lead to one. The Bulldogs put the tying run on base thanks to an errant throw on a grounder to third base.
The Green Wave turned to Tom Vincent out of the bullpen, but State plated two more during his quick time on the mound to take an 8-7 lead. That's when the team turned to its fourth pitcher of the frame in Caden Tarango. Though he did give up one more run, he managed to end the long inning with a swinging strikeout.
Tulane managed to put two runners on base in the eighth inning, but the team was unable to bring them home. Meanwhile, Mississippi State added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, as the Green Wave used two more pitchers. The Sluggerbirds would end the game quickly with a trio of groundouts.
If there's ever a time for Tulane to right the ship, it's now. The Green Wave hosts its final non-conference weekend series beginning on Friday, as it welcomes the Creighton Blue Jays for a three-game showdown at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.