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Cowbell Corner

McPherson’s Return Gives Mississippi State a Needed Reset After Auburn Gut Punch

Auburn spoiled Mississippi State’s comeback bid with a ninth-inning home run, but Ryan McPherson’s return Saturday gives the Bulldogs a major boost.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State baseball players huddle before a midweek game against Memphis at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville.
Mississippi State baseball players huddle before a midweek game against Memphis at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville. | Mississippi State Athletics

Mississippi State spent most of Friday night digging out of a hole, finally climbed all the way back, and then watched Auburn take it right back with one swing.

Chase Fralick opened the ninth with a solo shot to right‑center, the kind of no‑doubt swing that quiets a ballpark in a hurry, and No. 6 Auburn held on for a 5-4 win at Dudy Noble Field. It wasn’t a walk‑off, but it felt like a gut punch all the same after Mississippi State erased a four‑run deficit to tie things in the eighth.

The loss stings, but the night still carried a bit of good news. Mississippi State gets Ryan McPherson back on the mound Saturday.

That alone changes the tone of the weekend.

McPherson hasn’t pitched since leaving his March 20 start at Vanderbilt with an injury. The Bulldogs have managed to stay afloat without him, but getting a healthy sophomore right‑hander back in the rotation is the kind of boost you don’t ignore in May. He’ll take the ball in the rubber match, and that’s the storyline that matters most for a team trying to steady itself before the postseason.

As for Friday, the Bulldogs spent the middle innings trying to keep Auburn from running away with it. The Tigers built a 4-0 lead by the fifth, cashing in a couple of walks, a hit‑by‑pitch and timely swings. Duke Stone struck out seven but couldn’t quite escape the traffic. Maddox Miller settled things down, and that gave the lineup time to breathe.

Ace Reese did most of the heavy lifting there. He went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI, and he was in the middle of every rally. Reed Stallman cut the deficit in half with a two‑run homer in the fifth. Bryce Chance knocked in another in the seventh. Reese tied it in the eighth with a clean single to right after Kevin Milewski worked a walk and moved up on a bunt.

For a moment, it felt like the Bulldogs had flipped the game.

Then Fralick stepped in to start the ninth and sent the first big swing he saw over the wall. Ben Davis struck out five in three innings, but that one mistake was the difference.

So the series comes down to Saturday afternoon. Auburn has the momentum. Mississippi State has its best news in weeks taking the mound.

McPherson’s return won’t fix everything, but it gives the Bulldogs something they haven’t had much of lately: a fresh start.

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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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