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This was not vintage Hudson Randall.
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After pitching complete games in each of his last two starts,
Florida’s ace couldn’t get past the third inning Friday night as
No. 4 Florida fell 7-5 to Mississippi State in Starkville,
Miss.
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Randall (5-1) went into the series opener against the Bulldogs
without allowing an earned run in 24.2 innings of work in
Southeastern Conference play, but on Friday, Mississippi State
(21-9, 5-5 SEC) throttled the righty for six runs — all earned — in
2.1 innings before he was chased from the game.
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Mississippi State approached Randall much differently than
Tennessee did last weekend, when the righty pitched a 74-pitch
complete-game gem. While the Volunteers were aggressive early in
the count, the Bulldogs were patient from the start, as the
sophomore tossed 29 pitches in the first inning.
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The Bulldogs’ leadoff hitter, C.T. Bradford, worked a three-ball
count on Randall to open the first — a count Randall didn’t allow
in his previous start — before reaching on a single.
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The right-hander faced eight batters in the first as Mississippi
State put up a four spot on Florida (24-7, 7-3 SEC), highlighted by
Jonathan Ogden’s two-run home run.
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The four-run opening inning countered a two-run first by the Gators
and gave the Bulldogs an early lead they would hold for the rest of
the game.
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Mississippi State tacked on another run in the second when Cody
Freeman launched a home run to left-center field.
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After Randall struck out the leadoff batter to start the third,
Ogden crushed his second round-tripper of the night, pushing
Mississippi State’s lead to 6-4 and chasing Randall from the
game.
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Last weeks SEC Pitcher of the Week lasted just 2.1 innings,
allowing nine hits and six runs on 49 pitches. The three homers
were the first he’d given up all season.
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While Randall’s struggles were something the Gators hadn’t
encountered all year, a familiar foe also cost them against the
Bulldogs as Florida stranded 12 runners on base.
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had ample opportunities to cut into Mississippi State’s lead, but
it stranded two runners each in the second, third, fourth, fifth
and eighth innings.
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Etc.: Florida’s bullpen pitched 5.2 innings of
one-run ball, striking out nine. Nick Maronde led the way, throwing
2.1 innings with six strikeouts. … Cody Dent started at shortstop
in place of Nolan Fontana, who was out with an injury he sustained
against UCF. Dent went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts.
