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Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State Drops Series to Georgia After 7-4 Loss on the Road

Georgia scored early and held off a late Mississippi State rally to win 7-4, handing the Bulldogs their first SEC series loss of the season.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State pitcher Peja Goold warms up before a SEC game against Georgia in Athens.
Mississippi State pitcher Peja Goold warms up before a SEC game against Georgia in Athens. | Mississippi State Athletics

Some games get away from you before you ever find your footing, and Mississippi State spent most of Sunday trying to climb out of a hole that never really shrank.

Georgia jumped ahead early in Athens and held on for a 7-4 win, handing Mississippi State a series loss and a long afternoon of playing catch‑up.

Georgia put up three runs in the first inning and four more in the third, and suddenly Mississippi State was staring at a seven‑run deficit for the first time all season.

That alone tells you how steady this group has been through the first two months. Sunday just wasn’t one of those days.

To their credit, the Bulldogs didn’t fold. They chipped away in the fifth with a walk from Morgan Stiles, a single from Nadia Barbary, and another walk from Kiarra Sells to load the bases. Des Rivera got Mississippi State on the board with a sacrifice fly, and Taylor Troutman followed with a sharp single that brought home two more.

"We knew Taylor was a good matchup,” Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts said. “She has been seeing it well, and it provides a different look to protect the top of the order. She's got a bright future, and she's just getting better and learning every single weekend."

Just like that, it was 7-3 and the dugout had some life again.

Mississippi State kept pushing in the seventh. Barbary doubled to start the inning, Sells walked again, and Troutman drove in another run to make it 7-4.

That was as close as it got, but Troutman’s day stood out. Two hits, three RBIs, and another reminder of how important she’s become in SEC play.

Barbary had a strong afternoon too, reaching base three times and collecting her 42nd career double. Sells matched a career high with three walks. A

lyssa Faircloth gave Mississippi State two clean innings with four strikeouts. Rivera tied the single‑season program record with her fifth sacrifice fly.

Even in a loss, there were pieces that looked like the team Mississippi State has been for most of the year.

But the early damage was too much. Seven runs allowed by the bullpen is the most Mississippi State has given up this season, and spotting a top‑15 team that kind of cushion on the road is a tough way to win.

"If we learn one lesson from this weekend, it's showing some fight and battling back and knowing that you have to be ready to do that every inning in this conference," Ricketts said. "It was good to show some fight late, but you know we shouldn't have been in that situation to begin with."

Now the Bulldogs head home for their final midweek game of the year on Wednesday against UT Martin before turning the page to a Monday night series with South Carolina.

It’s a good chance to reset, breathe a little, and get back to the version of Mississippi State that rarely lets games drift out of reach.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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