Mississippi State Baseball Drops Game 3 Against Alabama 6-2

The Diamond Dawgs struggled offensively in Sunday afternoon's loss and missed out on an opportunity to sweep the Crimson Tide.

After securing a series victory over Alabama on Saturday, Mississippi State dropped Game 3 to the Crimson Tide by a score of 6-2 on Sunday afternoon.

Starting pitcher Cade Smith pitched six innings and gave up three runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Logan Tanner went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI, and Luke Hancock had a run scored and an RBI. Lane Forsythe started at shortstop and went 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk and a run scored. 

Mississippi State got started right away with a double by Tanner that scored Luke Hancock in the bottom of the first inning. Head coach Chris Lemonis said he chose to move Hancock because he continuously produces.

"If you get a chance to get a run in the first, you need to get a run in the first," Lemonis said. "That's a big piece and Luke kind of... if somebody hits a double or gets to third, Luke's gonna get him in."

Alabama added its first run in the top of the second to tie the score at one apiece and make things competitive early.

Aside from the occasional base hit or walk, both teams were very quiet offensively for a few innings. The Crimson Tide stopped the quiet spell in the fourth inning with a double by second baseman Bryce Eblin to score a run and make the score 2-1. 

Alabama added another run in the top of the sixth inning, but it came with some controversy. A pitch thrown by Smith to Drew Williamson looked to be in the strike zone, but it was called a ball. The home crowd wasn't happy with the call--it would've ended the inning-- but they certainly weren't happy when Williamson blasted the ball over the right-field fence moments later. The Crimson Tide took the 3-1 lead.

The Diamond Dawgs rallied back some with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Lane Forsythe and Matt Corder singled to get on base, then Kamren James reached to load the bases. Hancock was hit by a pitch to walk a run home, but Tanner struck out looking to end the frame. Still, the Bulldogs had managed to cut the deficit to 3-2 with only two innings left to play. 

After a scoreless eighth inning for both offenses, Alabama roared to life in the top of the ninth inning. Brooks Auger, who had pitched well in relief, gave up a walk to start the frame. Cam Tullar was brought into the game in hopes of escaping the inning, but in just 0.1 innings pitched, he struck out nobody and gave up two runs on two hits and a walked batter. The player that Auger walked also touched home plate during Tullar's outing. With a 6-2 lead, the Crimson Tide looked to finally close out a close game. 

Mississippi State tried to pull off another ninth-inning miracle but fell short. Pinch hitter Von Seibert was walked, but three consecutive outs to follow didn't get any runner past second base. Alabama stole the 6-2 Game 3 victory to avoid getting swept.

Despite dropping the final game, the Diamond Dawgs picked up their first series victory in the SEC and are two games behind Arkansas for first place in the SEC West. The Bulldogs will travel to Fayetteville for a series against the Razorbacks this coming weekend, but first, they will face a road test in a midweek contest against Memphis. James said that they will handle the busy upcoming week by taking things one day at a time. 

"Each day of the week is a new day," James said. "We try to win that day, so I think that's kind of the mindset you have to take going into Tuesday and then kind of ride the confidence from Tuesday into the weekend." 

MSU will travel to Autozone Park in Memphis to face the Memphis Tigers on Tuesday evening. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT.