The Mississippi State Bulldogs headed to Auburn, Alabama, to face the Tigers in a three-game series this weekend.
Friday night, State took a heartbreaking loss to begin the series. Auburn put up the first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Mississippi State answered in the bottom of the seventh with a single from freshman David Mershon that sent junior Amani Larry over the plate for a tied game. The Tigers hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead 2-1.
The Bulldogs fought hard for a comeback but came up short, dropping the first game of the series.
Auburn took a quick lead in game two with an early homer in the bottom of the second. The Bulldogs hung their heads low, patiently awaiting some MSU magic. Patience was a virtue as junior Colton Ledbetter crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly, putting State on the board in the sixth. Sophomore Slate Alford swung for the fences with a three-run bomb, followed by Amani Larry with a two-run homer.
The Tigers answered with a single run in the seventh, but Mississippi State was not done yet. Junior Kellum Clark hit a solo homer to lead off the eighth, followed shortly after by a single from freshman Ross Highfill to send Slate Alford and Luke Hancock home. The top of the ninth saw Luke Hancock hit a two-run shot to the center, extending the Bulldog lead 11-3.
Complacency surrounded the Bulldogs going into the bottom of the ninth. That was until the Tigers hit a leadoff home run which lit a fire underneath them, sending a total of seven across the plate. Auburn was on the verge of a comeback until Aaron Nixon stepped in and picked up his first save of the year. State tied the series 1-1, but Sunday’s game was set to be the determiner.
State fans anxiously awaited game three as the series was tied, and Sunday would soon determine the winner.
Game three saw the Bulldogs take a strong lead, leading 2-0 at the top of the first. Hunter Hines hit a three-run homer to send MSU up 5-0 at the top of the second.
Comfort settled State into the game with Colton Ledbetter hitting a double in the third to send Ross Highfill and David Mershon home, giving the Bulldogs a three-run lead. The Tigers found their fire shortly after with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.
State, being unsatisfied with their four-run lead, sent two more across the plate to make the game 9-3 in the fifth. Auburn answered right back by sending four home in the sixth to cut the Bulldogs’ lead down to two. The Tigers sent one more home with a sacrifice fly putting only a one-run difference between MSU and the Auburn Tigers. Kellum Clark singled in the top of the eighth to send Ledbetter home, making the score 10-8 in the Bulldogs’ favor.
Silence fell over Plainsman Park as the ball came off the bat in the bottom of the eighth. Auburn hit a three-run homer to take the lead 11-10. Anxious energy heightened for the Bulldogs as the top of the ninth came around. Amani Larry crossed the plate from a Tigers error, tying the game.
Mississippi State fans could be heard whispering, “Hold them off,” but Auburn hit a walk-off single to take the game and the series.
The Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday as they travel to Pearl, Mississippi, to take on Ole Miss in the Governor’s Cup. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.