Three things we learned after Msu-auburn finish
With the tying run on second base and a line drive to left field that gave Mississippi State baseball a chance to score, the Bulldogs opted for a dash to home plate.
It ended with a near-perfect throw from Auburn outfielder Bryson Ware arriving just in time for the catcher to tag Matt Corder for the final out of the series.
After claiming the first two games of the series, Mississippi State (21-16, 6-9 SEC) narrowly missed out on its first conference sweep of the season.
Even still, it marked the Bulldogs’ first SEC series win since playing Alabama in March, creating needed momentum for a program trying to rediscover itself in the second half of the season.
Here are three things we learned from the weekend:
Relief issues flare up late
Cade Smith threw six scoreless innings on Saturday, allowing four hits and striking out five batters.
But, as soon as he left the game, Auburn began to rally.
Jackson Fristoe hit a batter, intentionally walked a batter, and gave up an RBI double and an RBI single in the seventh inning, leaving the game tied at two.
Pinch-hitter Brooks Carlson doubled off of Pico Kohn in the eighth, scoring the winning run.
MSU led 2-0 from the second inning after a pair of home runs, but the three runs in the final three innings cost the Bulldogs the game.
Big series for Brad Cumbest
Brad Cumbest hit the liner in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday that nearly scored Corder. It could have easily been an addition to the clutch moments Cumbest had earlier in the series.
The 6-foot-6, 235 pound outfielder went 4-for-5 on Friday, with a home run, a double, and three RBIS to help the Bulldogs secure a 9-5 win and clinch the series.
He also led off the seventh inning of Thursday’s series opener with a solo home run. RJ Yeager followed that up with a solo home run of his own and MSU won 7-6.
Momentum heading into Ole Miss series
After being swept at home by LSU last weekend and dropping three of its first four SEC series, MSU needed a good performance to give it some momentum.
The Bulldogs picked up a pair of big wins and nearly stole a third. Next comes a test from in-state rival Ole Miss. Mississippi State will play in Oxford Thursday through Saturday next week.
“It’s one of the biggest college rivalries in baseball. You just kind of prepare for that and want everybody to be focused,” said Smith.