Mississippi State’s 4-0 Loss to Texas A&M Came Down to One Rainy Inning

A messy second inning in the rain led to three runs and proved the difference as Mississippi State dropped game two.

Mississippi State Outfielder Kinley Keller (#33) during Game 1 between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Diamond in College Station, TX. | Mississippi State Athletics

If you watched No. 14 Mississippi State’s 4-0 loss at No. 12 Texas A&M on Saturday, you probably walked away thinking about one thing.

Not the score. Not the missed chances. The rain.

That second inning was a mess, and not the kind you can chalk up to normal softball chaos. Mississippi State had to pitch through a steady, annoying, rhythm-breaking rain. Texas A&M never had to field a pitch in it. By the time the umpires finally pulled the tarp, the damage was already done.

Coaches won’t blame the weather. Players won’t either. That’s fine. We can, though, and the weather deserves a chunk of the blame.

It’s fair to wonder what that inning looks like if it’s played in dry conditions. Or if the delay comes five minutes earlier. Or if the Bulldogs aren’t trying to grip a slick ball while the strike zone shrinks and the footing gets questionable.

"I mean, it's unfortunate. It's unfortunate that we have to pitch in rain and they don't, but, you know, it can't be an excuse," Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts said. "I think we're just not seeing the results, and we feel like we're doing little things right. We're hitting the ball hard. We're having better at-bats. We're not getting the outcomes right now. The biggest thing is just making sure we're staying together and trusting the work we put in and the approaches that we've taken recently, knowing that it's all going to come together at some point for us."

Alyssa Faircloth walked four hitters in that inning alone, tying her season high in one frame. She also hit two batters. And here’s the thing: outside of that rain-soaked stretch, she allowed two hits all day.

She struck out five. She competed. The box score won’t show it, but the game turned on one weather window that only one team had to deal with.

The inning resumed after a 30-minute delay with a 3-0 count already waiting. Ball four came immediately, because of course it did. Texas A&M walked in three runs without a hit. That’s the ballgame.

BOT 2 | The tarp is coming off, and we will be resuming shortly! The bases will be loaded with one out and a 3-0 count on the batter.

#14 MSU: 0
#12 TAMU: 2#HailState pic.twitter.com/xEEQDyPLSf

— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) April 18, 2026

Offensively, Mississippi State had its chances but never found the swing to change the tone. Two double plays in the first two innings. Two runners left in the third.

Then the sixth inning, which felt like the moment. A walk and an error put two on with nobody out. Three straight outs followed. That was the last real push.

There were still a few bright spots. Nadia Barbary extended her hitting streak to three games. Des Rivera and Anna Carder kept finding ways to reach. Kiarra Sells stretched her reached-base streak to 16 games. Delainey Everett came in and did what she usually does, even if the inherited runner snapped her scoreless streak.

Souperwoman makes the grab!

💻 https://t.co/0ifln2sQsP@supan_allyson | #HailState pic.twitter.com/ccDKnbh4He

— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) April 18, 2026

But the story is the rain. Not as an excuse, just as the reality of how the game tilted.

Mississippi State had to pitch through it. Texas A&M didn’t. Sometimes softball is that simple.

The series finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. Mississippi State will try to salvage something from the weekend.

And maybe, just maybe, the weather will stay out of it this time.