Mississippi State is Eliminated from the SEC Tournament after a 6-5 Loss to Tennessee

The Bulldogs run in Hoover comes to an end.

Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis listens to the ground rules before the game against Ole Miss at Swayze Field in Oxford, Miss., on Friday, Apr. 12, 2024. / Bruce Newman/Special to the Clarion

The Mississippi State Bulldogs are eliminated from the SEC tournament after a 6-5 loss to the number one seed Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee threatened to score in the first and second, but Bulldog starter Pico Kohn worked out of both jams. 

However, the Volunteers loaded the bases with one in the third and took a 1-0 on a sacrifice fly. The lefty would not last four innings as he left the game with runners on the corners with one out and handed the ball to Cole Cheatham. 

The Volunteers scored the run from third as Bulldog catcher Joe gunned down a runner at second, and the other runner scored without a play. Once again, the State offense struggled mightily, but a pitch hit David Mershon to lead off the bottom of the fourth. 

The All-SEC first-team shortstop stole second base with one out, but Dakota Jordan and Logan Kohler failed to drive him in. The Volunteers took advantage of the missed opportunity by extending their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fifth.

Senior Amani Larry led off the sixth with a hit-by-pitch, and Powell followed that up with an out-out single. Left fielder Bryce Chance walked to load the bases, and Mershon worked a walk to put the Bulldogs on the board. 

Back-to-back two RBI singles from Connor Hujsak and Dakota Jordan gave State a 5-3 lead. Tyson Hardin took on the bump for MSU in the sixth inning and issued two straight walks after striking out the leadoff batter. 

The Dover, Fla., got a fielder's choice and a flyout to work a scoreless inning. The righty got into trouble in the seventh as Tennessee loaded the bases with one out. 

Hardin got a ground ball to Mershon, who threw to Larry for the second out, but the senior made a throwing error, which allowed the Volunteers to tie the game at five. Tyler Davis took over on the mound for State in the eighth inning. 

The lefty gave up a solo home run to the leadoff batter, Blake Burke, and retired the next three batters. The Newport News, Va. native pitched a scoreless ninth inning, and the Bulldogs trailed by one heading into the bottom of the ninth. 

First baseman Hunter Hines popped out to lead off the inning, and Powell grounded out to the shortstop for the second out. Nate Chester pinch-hit for freshman Ethan Pulliam, and he grounded out to end it. 

The Bulldogs had a good run in Hoover and did enough to make a solid case to be a host site. However, it is far from a guarantee, but they will find out their fate on Sunday as they announce the host sites.