Mississippi State Baseball Picks Up Series Victory in 9-5 Rout of Auburn

The Diamond Dawgs controlled nearly all of Friday night's game and picked up a series victory over the No. 14 Tigers.

Mississippi State dominated offensively, defensively and on the mound in a 9-5 victory over the Auburn Tigers to secure its second SEC series victory. 

Starting pitcher Preston Johnson had the best start of his career, going 7.0 innings and allowing just four runs on four hits with two walks and 12 strikeouts. Brad Cumbest went 4-for-5 at the plate with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI. Kamren James scored two runs and drove in two more while going 3-for-5 batting. RJ Yeager had two RBI, while Logan Tanner and Hunter Hines each had one. Slate Alford had two hits in his third start of the season. KC Hunt pitched in relief for the Bulldogs and gave up just two hits with three strikeouts. 

Auburn had a double to start the game, but the Diamond Dawgs were the ones who got off to a hot start. James and Hancock had base hits to put runners in scoring position with no outs, then Tanner drove in the first run of the day with a sacrifice fly. Hines kept things going with a single to score another run, and the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead.

Johnson shut down the Tigers' offense in the second inning, but MSU failed to score as well.

The Tigers loaded the bases in the top of the third inning, but Johnson recorded his biggest strikeout of the day to prevent any runs from crossing home plate. 

Neither team posed much of a threat until the bottom of the sixth inning. Mississippi State loaded the bases with only one out on a walk against Kellum Clark, a single by Cumbest and another walk against Lane Forsythe. Yeager brought two runs in with a double down the left-field line to give the Diamond Dawgs a 4-0 lead.

Auburn got one run back in the top of the seventh inning to make the score 4-1. Right fielder Bobby Pierce advanced from first to third on a throwing error by Tanner, then was driven home on a sacrifice fly. 

The Diamond Dawgs blew the game open in the bottom of the seventh inning. Hines and Alford singled to get on base. They were driven in on a three-run homer by Cumbest to give MSU the 7-1 advantage. Cumbest said that he didn't realize just how far his ball flew. 

"I hit it, I really didn't think it was going out," Cumbest said. "I thought it was just a double, and then when I see it go out I was blacking out a little bit running around the bases."

Forsythe was walked, then James homered to left field to add another two runs to the board. With the 9-1 lead, the Bulldogs had plenty of control and only two innings to go. 

The Tigers made things very interesting to start the eighth inning. Despite Johnson already having thrown 103 pitches, he was put back out on the mound. He gave up a walk and hit another batter before being pulled. Johnson said when he met new pitcher Drew Talley coming off the mound, he apologized for giving up the baserunners.

"I told him, 'Man, that's my bad,'" Johnson said. "It's my bad that he's in that situation and something that I take full blame for."

Talley didn't have a very good performance. Three singles and a walk made the score 9-4 with no outs, and MSU was forced to go to the bullpen again. This time, Hunt entered the game. Hunt gave up only one run and struck out three to escape the inning with the 9-5 lead. 

The Bulldogs put two on base in the eighth inning-- Cumbest doubled down the left-field line and Yeager was hit by a pitch. With two outs, James was at the plate and looking to cushion the lead. Before he had a chance to do anything, the game went into a rain delay. After 45 minutes of watching and waiting, James went back to the plate. He struck out and sent the team to the top of the ninth inning.

Hunt forced a groundout before giving up a single to put one on base with one out for the Tigers. Sonny DiChiara, Auburn's top hitter, was at the plate and looking to do damage. With a swing of the bat, he sent a ball rolling into double play territory and ended the game for the Tigers.

Mississippi State came into a must-win series and took the first two games from a ranked opponent. The Diamond Dawgs will go for their first SEC sweep of the season Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.