Clutch Hitting Leads Mississippi State to a Doubleheader Sweep

Mississippi State sweeps the doubleheader and the series over Auburn.

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs dramatically finished a much-needed sweep of the Auburn Tigers. However, this team's knock has been its inability to perform in the clutch, both on the mound and at the plate.

The Bulldogs have lost four one-run games in conference play, but today, they flipped the trend. The offense struggled at the plate for most of the day, but freshman Ethan Pulliam came through in the first game with a clutch single to give MSU a lead.

Jurrangelo Cijntje took a lot of pressure off the offense today, as the sophomore was marvelous. He pitched 6.2 innings and allowed only one run.

The Bulldogs were holding onto a one-run lead at the top of the seventh, but a clutch single from Hunter Hines gave them much-needed insurance. It was a drama-filled last half inning, but the Bulldogs prevailed and clinched the series.

MSU head coach Chris Lemonis told his team in the dugout that a series win was enough.

"We are fighting to get every game," Lemonis said.

It seemed like that was all they would get as Auburn starter Carson Meyers gave the Bulldogs trouble. However, the Tigers opted to go with reliever Will Cannon to try and close it out.

MSU trailed 3-1 with three outs to work with, but two of their most reliable hitters in conference play, Connor Hujsak and Bryce Chance, started the inning with consecutive singles. Logan Kohler stepped into the plate with the chance to tie the game. The third baseman has struggled this year, but today, he broke through as he split the gap in right field to tie the game.

Lemonis thought about bunting but changed his mind after a conversation with the Memphis transfer.


"He said I want to hit," Lemonis said. "I was excited to hear him say he wants to hit.... he is feeling good about himself."

The crowd was berserk, but Aaron Downs, who pinch-ran for Kohler, was immediately back picked. It was a mental error by Tyson Hardin, which kept the game in a deadlock as he pitched two scoreless innings.

Another guy in a slump for MSU came up big as Amani Larry led off the bottom of the eighth with a double. After a Dakota Jordan intentional walk, Hines tapped a ball to the pitcher, and Larry was tagged out after a brief rundown.

However, Hujsak, the best hitter on this team in conference play, delivered a two-out RBI single to walk it off. The crowd erupted, and his teammates stormed the field to chase down the center fielder.

"It was unreal," Hujsak said.

Getting a read on this team is tough, but they are undoubtedly tough. They also overcame their biggest flaw today: performing in the clutch.

"They are tough," Lemonis said.

"It shows the amount of trust we have in each other," Hujsak said.

The Bulldogs now sit at 10-8 in conference play and are in the driver's seat to get back into a regional, but they still have a chance to host. Despite not always playing like it, this team has the ability to host, but can they be consistent?

If so, the sky is the limit.

"We got a good group and they could do special things," Lemonis said.