2021 College World Series: Mississippi State cruises to Game 2 victory against Vanderbilt

(MSU Athletics)

Mississippi State and Vanderbilt have traded lopsided wins in the first two games of the College World Series Finals.

After Vandy claimed an 8-2 win in the opener, Mississippi State rebounded with a 13-2 win in game two on Tuesday at TD Ameritrade Park.

MSU’s win sets up a winner-take-all game three for the CWS championship on Wednesday at 7 p.m. (ET).

The Bulldogs took advantage of 10 walks, three errors and two hit batters in the win.

The 10 walks are the most by Vandy pitching this season, and the second most in a CWS Finals game.

The Commodores have now made 10 errors in six CWS games, twice as many errors as the next closest team (Stanford, 5).

MSU played its sixth straight error less game at the 2021 CWS.

Luke Hancock (5), Tanner Allen (4) and Logan Tanner (4) all reached base four times. Hancock had three walks, two hits and two RBIs. Allen scored four runs.

Lane Forsythe had three hits and two RBIs. Scotty Dubrule added two hits and four RBIs.

MSU scored an unearned run in the first inning, and added four runs in the third inning on a ground ball that got stuck in shortstop Carter Young’s glove and four walks. State piled on five more runs in the seventh inning.

Vanderbilt’s two runs came on solo home runs by its two catchers. CJ Rodriguez hit a solo home run in the second inning and Maxwell Romero, Jr., hit a solo home run in the ninth.

MSU used Houston Harding and Preston Johnson in Tuesday’s game, with Johnson being credited with the win.

Vandy used five different pitchers with starter Christian Little taking the loss.

The two blowouts wins sets up a likely quality pitching matchup in Wednesday’s decisive game.

Vandy is expected to send ace Kumar Rocker to the mound, with Nick Maldonado, Chris McElvain and Luke Murphy in the pen.

MSU is expected to start Will Bednar on the mound, will a well-rested Landon Sims in relief.